Isopycnal Submesoscale Stirring Crucially Sustaining Subsurface Chlorophyll Maximum in Ocean Cyclonic Eddies

Cao, Haijin; Freilich, Mara; Song, Xiangzhou; Jing, Zhiyou; Fox‐Kemper, Baylor; Qiu, Bo; Hetland, Robert D.; Chai, Fei; Ruiz, Simón; Chen, Dake

doi:10.1029/2023GL105793

Title: Isopycnal Submesoscale Stirring Crucially Sustaining Subsurface Chlorophyll Maximum in Ocean Cyclonic Eddies

Journal Article · Wed Feb 21 00:00:00 EST 2024 · Geophysical Research Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL105793· OSTI ID:2311033

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^[2]; Song, Xiangzhou ^[1];

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^[6]; Chai, Fei ^[7];

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Key Laboratory of Marine Hazards Forecasting Ministry of Natural Resources Hohai University Nanjing China, College of Oceanography Hohai University Nanjing China
Scripps Institution of Oceanography University of California San Diego La Jolla CA USA, Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences Brown University Providence RI USA
State Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography South China Sea Institute of Oceanology Chinese Academy of Sciences Guangzhou China
Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences Brown University Providence RI USA
Department of Oceanography University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu HI USA
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Richland WA USA
State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science Xiamen University Xiamen China
IMEDEA (CSIC‐UIB) Esporles Spain
School of Atmospheric Sciences Sun Yat‐sen University and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai) Zhuhai China

Abstract Mesoscale and submesoscale processes have crucial impacts on ocean biogeochemistry, importantly enhancing the primary production in nutrient‐deficient ocean regions. Yet, the intricate biophysical interplay still holds mysteries. Using targeted high‐resolution in situ observations in the South China Sea, we reveal that isopycnal submesoscale stirring serves as the primary driver of vertical nutrient transport to sustain the dome‐shaped subsurface chlorophyll maximum (SCM) within a long‐lived cyclonic mesoscale eddy. Density surface doming at the eddy core increased light exposure for phytoplankton production, while along‐isopycnal submesoscale stirring disrupted the mesoscale coherence and drove significant vertical exchange of tracers. These physical processes play a crucial role in maintaining the elevated phytoplankton biomass in the eddy core. Our findings shed light on the universal mechanism of how mesoscale and submesoscale coupling enhances primary production in ocean cyclonic eddies, highlighting the pivotal role of submesoscale stirring in structuring marine ecosystems.

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Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

OSTI ID:: 2311033

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 2324725

Journal Information:: Geophysical Research Letters, Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters Vol. 51 Journal Issue: 4; ISSN 0094-8276

Publisher:: American Geophysical Union (AGU)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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