title: Horizontal eddy energy flux in the world oceans diagnosed from altimetry data.
abstract: During the propagation of coherent mesoscale eddies, they directly or indirectly induce many effects and interactions at different scales, implying eddies are actually serving as a kind of energy carrier or energy source for these eddy-related dynamic processes. To quantify this dynamically significant energy flow, the multi-year averaged horizontal eddy energy fluxes (EEFs) were estimated by using satellite altimetry data and a two-layer model based on hydrographic climatology. There is a strong net westward transport of eddy energy estimated at the mean value of ~13.3 GW north of 5°N and ~14.6 GW at the band 5°S ~ 44°S in the Southern Hemisphere. However, poleward of 44°S east-propagating eddies carry their energy eastward with an averaged net flux of ~3.2 GW. If confirmed, it would signify that geostrophic eddies not only contain the most of oceanic kinetic energy (KE), but also carry and spread a significant amount of energy with them.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China, 510301.
authors.forename: Chi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China, 510301.
authors.forename: Xiao-Dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Shang
authors.affiliation: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA.
authors.forename: Rui Xin
authors.initials: RX
authors.lastname: Huang