Xue
Huijie
Xue
Huijie
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ArticleEpisodic subduction patches in the western North Pacific identified from BGC-Argo float data(European Geosciences Union, 2021-10-13) Chen, Shuangling ; Wells, Mark L. ; Huang, Rui Xin ; Xue, Huijie ; Xi, Jingyuan ; Chai, FeiSubduction associated with mesoscale eddies is an important but difficult-to-observe process that can efficiently export carbon and oxygen to the mesopelagic zone (100–1000 dbar). Using a novel BGC-Argo dataset covering the western North Pacific (20–50∘ N, 120–180∘ E), we identified imprints of episodic subduction using anomalies in dissolved oxygen and spicity, a water mass marker. These subduction patches were present in 4.0 % (288) of the total profiles (7120) between 2008 and 2019, situated mainly in the Kuroshio Extension region between March and August (70.6 %). Roughly 31 % and 42 % of the subduction patches were identified below the annual permanent pycnocline depth (300 m vs. 450 m) in the subpolar and subtropical regions, respectively. Around half (52 %) of these episodic events injected oxygen-enriched waters below the maximum annual permanent thermocline depth (450 dbar), with >20 % occurring deeper than 600 dbar. Subduction patches were detected during winter and spring when mixed layers are deep. The oxygen inventory within these subductions is estimated to be on the order of 64 to 152 g O2/m2. These mesoscale events would markedly increase oxygen ventilation as well as carbon removal in the region, both processes helping to support the nutritional and metabolic demands of mesopelagic organisms. Climate-driven patterns of increasing eddy kinetic energies in this region imply that the magnitude of these processes will grow in the future, meaning that these unexpectedly effective small-scale subduction processes need to be better constrained in global climate and biogeochemical models.
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ArticleRegulation of South China Sea throughflow by pressure difference(John Wiley & Sons, 2016-06-12) Qin, Huiling ; Huang, Rui Xin ; Wang, Weiqiang ; Xue, HuijieSea Surface Height (SSH) data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts-Ocean Reanalysis System 4 (ECMWF-ORAS4) are used to determine the pressure difference in connection with variability of the South China Sea ThroughFlow (SCSTF) from 1958 to 2007. Two branches of SCSTF, the Karimata-Sunda Strait ThroughFlow (KSSTF) and the Mindoro Strait ThroughFlow (MSTF), are examined. Using the ensemble empirical mode decomposition method (EEMD), time series of pressure difference and volume transport are decomposed into intrinsic mode functions and trend functions, with the corresponding variability on different time scales. Pressure difference agrees with the KSSTF volume transport on decadal time scale; while for the MSTF, pressure difference varies similarly with volume transport on interannual time scale. Separating the dynamic height difference into the thermal and haline terms, for the KSSTF more than half of the dynamic height difference (32 cm) is due to the thermal contributions; while the remaining dynamic height difference (23 cm) is due to the haline contributions. For the MSTF, the dynamic height difference (29 cm) is primarily due to the thermal contribution (26 cm).
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ArticleDeep-current intraseasonal variability interpreted as topographic Rossby waves and deep eddies in the Xisha Islands of the South China Sea(American Meteorological Society, 2022-06-16) Shu, Yeqiang ; Wang, Jinghong ; Xue, Huijie ; Huang, Rui Xin ; Chen, Ju ; Wang, Dongxiao ; Wang, Qiang ; Xie, Qiang ; Wang, WeiqiangStrong subinertial variability near a seamount at the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea was revealed by mooring observations from January 2017 to January 2018. The intraseasonal deep flows presented two significant frequency bands, with periods of 9–20 and 30–120 days, corresponding to topographic Rossby waves (TRWs) and deep eddies, respectively. The TRW and deep eddy signals explained approximately 60% of the kinetic energy of the deep subinertial currents. The TRWs at the Ma, Mb, and Mc moorings had 297, 262, and 274 m vertical trapping lengths, and ∼43, 38, and 55 km wavelengths, respectively. Deep eddies were independent from the upper layer, with the largest temperature anomaly being >0.4°C. The generation of the TRWs was induced by mesoscale perturbations in the upper layer. The interaction between the cyclonic–anticyclonic eddy pair and the seamount topography contributed to the generation of deep eddies. Owing to the potential vorticity conservation, the westward-propagating tilted interface across the eddy pair squeezed the deep-water column, thereby giving rise to negative vorticity west of the seamount. The strong front between the eddy pair induced a northward deep flow, thereby generating a strong horizontal velocity shear because of lateral friction and enhanced negative vorticity. Approximately 4 years of observations further confirmed the high occurrence of TRWs and deep eddies. TRWs and deep eddies might be crucial for deep mixing near rough topographies by transferring mesoscale energy to small scales.