Upper turbulent mixing in the interior and surrounding areas of an anticyclonic eddy in the northern South China Sea (SCS) was estimated from underwater glider data (May 2015) in the present study, using the Gregg-Henyey-Polzin parameterization and the Thorpe-scale method. The observations revealed a clear asymmetrical spatial pattern of turbulent mixing in the anticyclonic eddy area. Enhanced diffusivity (in the order of 10–3 m2/s) was found at the posterior edge of the anticyclonic mesoscale eddy; on the anterior side, diffusivity was one order of magnitude lower on average. This asymmetrical pattern was highly correlated with the eddy kinetic energy. Higher shear variance on the posterior side, which is conducive to the triggering of shear instability, may be the main mechanism for the elevated diffusivity. In addition, the generation and growth of sub-mesoscale motions that are fed by mesoscale eddies on their posterior side may also promote the occurrence of strong mixing in the studied region. The results of this study help improve our knowledge regarding turbulent mixing in the northern SCS.
| 科 Family | 属数 Number of genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) | 属 Genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae | 2 | 11 | 5.26 | 鹅膏菌属 Amanita | 10 | 4.78 |
| 小菇科 Mycenaceae | 2 | 12 | 5.74 | 丝盖伞属 Inocybe | 5 | 2.39 |
| 多孔菌科 Polyporaceae | 8 | 14 | 6.70 | 蜡蘑属 Laccaria | 5 | 2.39 |
| 红菇科 Russulaceae | 3 | 23 | 11.00 | 小皮伞属 Marasmius | 6 | 2.87 |
| 小菇属 Mycena | 11 | 5.26 | ||||
| 光柄菇属 Pluteus | 5 | 2.39 | ||||
| 红菇属 Russula | 17 | 8.13 | ||||
| 栓菌属 Trametes | 5 | 2.39 |