Three-dimensional dynamic analysis of observed mesoscale eddy in the South China Sea based on complex network theory

¹ Key Laboratory of Mechanism Theory and Equipment Design of Ministry of Education, School of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University - Tianjin 300072, China
² The Joint Laboratory of Ocean Observation and Detection, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology - Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China
³ School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Tianjin University - Tianjin 300072, China

^(a) shaoqiongy@tju.edu.cn

Received: 12 November 2019
Accepted: 6 January 2020

Abstract

Mesoscale eddies have drawn extensive attention due to their central role in ocean energy and mass transport. From July to August 2017, we launched thirteen Petrel-II underwater gliders developed by the Tianjin University, China, in the South China Sea to observe a mesoscale eddy and obtain relatively complete three-dimensional (3D) data. The complex network methodology is advanced to construct a novel Ocean Observation Complex Network (OOCN) with multilayer structure, based on the continuous observation data with higher resolution acquired by Petrel-II gliders. The hierarchical structure of the mesoscale eddy is obtained, which partly validates the three-compartment structure of the eddy. A number of interesting results shows that the dynamic structure analysis can be carried for mesoscale eddies and other complex ocean phenomena.