AUTHOR=Han Guoqing , Dong Changming , Yang Jingsong , Sommeria Joel , Stegner Alexandre , Caldeira Rui M. A. 

TITLE=Strain Evolution and Instability of an Anticyclonic Eddy From a Laboratory Experiment

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.645531

DOI=10.3389/fmars.2021.645531

ISSN=2296-7745

ABSTRACT=<p>Using the 13 m diameter LEGI-Coriolis rotating platform, the evolution processes of a generated anticyclonic eddy throughout its lifecycle are analyzed. Experimental results have shown that the eddy lasted for approximately 3<italic>T</italic><sub>0</sub>, where <italic>T</italic><sub>0</sub> is the rotating period of 90 s. After <italic>T</italic> = 0.3<italic>T</italic><sub>0</sub>, the eddy enters its mature phase, whereby following this event, eddy intensity slowly decreases from its maximum rotation speed. By <italic>T</italic> = 2.6<italic>T</italic><sub>0</sub>, the eddy enters a stage of rapid weakening. In its decay period, two underlying mechanisms for this decay have been identified as inertial instability and eddy–eddy interactions.</p>