Properties of Mesoscale Eddies Around the Philippine Sea Derived from Satellite Data and a Numerical Model

The subtropical regions in the North Pacific Ocean, especially north of 10degN, have been often observed eddy´s activities using satellite data. The generation and existence of these eddies have been proposed by various theories. The variability of propagating eddies plays a vital role in the teleconnection between atmospheric and oceanic interactions. Surface barotropic Rossby Waves over the North Pacific Ocean have also been extensively investigated in the past using observational data. In this study, we use a numerical model with realistic conditions to analyze eddies propagating in the upper ocean over the Philippine Sea. The resultant spatial and temporal distributions obtained from the present model reveal strong activities of propagating eddies associated with first baroclinic Rossby waves. The behavior of the eddy is also modulated by the strong western boundary current, the Kuroshio.