Strong eddy kinetic energy anomalies induced by baroclinic instability in the southwest region of the Kerguelen Plateau, East Antarctica

He, Yunzhu, Zhou, Meng and Kang, Dujuan (2024) Strong eddy kinetic energy anomalies induced by baroclinic instability in the southwest region of the Kerguelen Plateau, East Antarctica. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 129 (6). ISSN 2169-9275

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Abstract

Eddy activity is particularly prominent in the Southern Ocean due to the instabilities of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, which plays a critical role in energy transport of the global ocean. In this study, a systematic energetics analysis framework is employed to investigate notable anomalies of an intensified Eddy Kinetic Energy (EKE) event observed in the southwest region of the Kerguelen Plateau in the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean in 2017, utilizing a reanalysis product. The EKE anomalies, presenting across all depths, emerged in April, peaked during the austral winter, and persisted into the subsequent summer. Energetics analysis indicates that the pronounced EKE anomalies are primarily determined by baroclinic instability, with distinct governing mechanisms at the surface and in the internal ocean. The anomalous intrusion of warm Circumpolar Deep Water intensified the baroclinic energy conversion in the subsurface, contributing significantly to the EKE anomalies. Moreover, strong anomalous wind-induced Ekman pumping served to amplify the lifting of isopycnals, which enhanced the baroclinic instability and subsequently intensified the EKE anomalies. This study sheds new light on underlying mechanisms governing local polar dynamics and provides insights into the intricate interaction between ocean dynamics and energy distribution in the Antarctic region.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Data Availability Statement: The GLORYS12V1 reanalysis product (GLOBAL_REANALYSIS_PHY_001_030) is provided by CopernicusMarine Environmental Monitoring Service (CMEMS,https://data.marine.copernicus.eu/product/GLOBAL_MULTIYEAR_PHY_001_030/download) (GLORYS12V1, 2022). Altimeter satellite gridded data (SEA-LEVEL_GLO_PHY_L4_MY_008_047) is available from CMEMS (https://data.marine.copernicus.eu/product/SEALEVEL_GLO_PHY_L4_MY_008_047/download). The observational data of temperature and salinity ac-quired from WOA18 (https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/metadata/landing‐page/bin/iso?id=gov.noaa.nodc:NCEI‐WOA18) are used for comparison. Wind data is obtained from the European Centre for Medium‐RangeWeather Forecasts (ECMWF) Reanalysis Version 5 (ERA5) data set. ERA‐Interim and ERA5 data sets are available at https://climatedataguide.ucar.edu/climate‐data/era‐interim and https://cds.climate.copernicus.eu/cdsapp#!/dataset/reanalysis‐era5‐single‐levels‐monthly‐means?tab=overview, separately (ERA5, 2023). Thebathymetry is available at https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/etopo‐global‐relief‐model.
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	08 Dec 2025 14:51
Last Modified:	09 Dec 2025 12:30
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/101309
DOI:	10.1029/2023JC020667

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