11:30 AM - 11:45 AM
[AOS15-10] Submesoscale cascade processes in the S. China Sea
Keywords:Mixing, Monsoon, Cascade
Here, we describe a new examination of submesoscale processes in the S. China Sea. The focus is on the class of oceanographic variability that is poorly constrained in models including eddies, vortices and filaments, and their interactions with smaller-scale phenomena (Fig. 1A). While the whole S. China Sea system is of interest, including the Vietnam East Sea, the initial survey work has focused on the region just southwest of Taiwan. In this region, the Kuroshio Current feeds warm-salty water through the Luzon Strait. As the Current meanders into the Luzon Strait, it sheds eddies and filaments, which in turn interact with the local wind forcing. Along the southern tip of Taiwan, the wind field is complicated by the blocking effects of high mountains on the eastern side of Taiwan, with easterly winds south of Taiwan, and northerly winds in the Taiwan Strait. This combination of eddies, filaments, and wind lead to an active submesoscale cascade.