Peng Qihua

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Last Name
Peng
First Name
Qihua
ORCID
0000-0003-4913-3499

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  • Article
    A time-dependent Sverdrup relation and its application to the Indian Ocean
    (American Meteorological Society, 2022-05-27) Chen, Gengxin ; Huang, Rui Xin ; Peng, Qihua ; Chu, Xiaoqing
    The Sverdrup relation is the backbone of wind-driven circulation theory; it is a simple relation between the meridional transport of the wind-driven circulation in the upper ocean and the wind stress curl. However, the relation is valid for steady circulation only. In this study, a time-dependent Sverdrup relation is postulated, in which the meridional transport in a time-dependent circulation is the sum of the local wind stress curl term and a time-delayed term representing the effect of the eastern boundary condition. As an example, this time-dependent Sverdrup relation is evaluated through its application to the equatorial circulation in the Indian Ocean, using reanalysis data and a reduced gravity model. Close examination reveals that the southward Somali Current occurring during boreal winter is due to the combination of the local wind stress curl in the Arabian Sea and delayed signals representing the time change of layer thickness at the eastern boundary.
  • Article
    Surface warming-induced global acceleration of upper ocean currents
    (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2022-04-20) Peng, Qihua ; Xie, Shang-Ping ; Wang, Dongxiao ; Huang, Rui Xin ; Chen, Gengxin ; Shu, Yeqiang ; Shi, Jia-Rui ; Liu, Wei
    How the ocean circulation changes in a warming climate is an important but poorly understood problem. Using a global ocean model, we decompose the problem into distinct responses to changes in sea surface temperature, salinity, and wind. Our results show that the surface warming effect, a robust feature of anthropogenic climate change, dominates and accelerates the upper ocean currents in 77% of the global ocean. Specifically, the increased vertical stratification intensifies the upper subtropical gyres and equatorial currents by shoaling these systems, while the differential warming between the Southern Ocean upwelling zone and the region to the north accelerates surface zonal currents in the Southern Ocean. In comparison, the wind stress and surface salinity changes affect regional current systems. Our study points a way forward for investigating ocean circulation change and evaluating the uncertainty.