Collaborative Research: Why Does the Loop Current Have Such An Irregular Eddy Shedding Cycle?

墨西哥湾环流最令人费解的方面是它脱落环的方式。环脱落对生物海洋学和渔业应用具有重要意义，并对商业航运和钻井产生实际影响。追溯到1970年代的数据表明了光环脱落的速度，但导致光环分离的机制尚不清楚。目前的数值模型能准确地得到环流的大部分流动细节，但不能准确地得到环流脱落的时间，而且由于没有吸收海面高度数据，模型根本不能捕捉环流脱落。在本研究中，将分析环分离的历史数据，以检验最近关于环脱落机制的理论假设。

The most puzzling aspect of the Loop Current in the Gulf of Mexico is the manner in which it sheds rings. Ring-shedding is of great interest to biological oceanography and fisheries applications and has a practical effect on commercial shipping and drilling. Data going back to the 1970's indicates the rate at which rings are shed but the mechanism that causes rings to separate is not known. Current numerical models can get most of the flow details of the Loop Current correct but not the timing of ring shedding and without assimilating sea surface height data, the models fail to capture ring shedding at all. In this study, historical data on ring separations will be analyzed to test recent theoretical hypotheses about ring shedding mechanisms.