Hurricane influence on the oceanic eddies in the Gulf Stream region

Abstract The Gulf Stream region (GSR) represents an area of robust oceanic eddies, active hurricanes, and more importantly, frequent encounters between the two phenomena. However, the direct impact of the intense storms on the eddy field has seldom been comprehensively examined. Here based on a mult...

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Main Authors: Xinning Ni, Yu Zhang, Wei Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-01-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-55927-6
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author Xinning Ni
Yu Zhang
Wei Wang
author_facet Xinning Ni
Yu Zhang
Wei Wang
author_sort Xinning Ni
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The Gulf Stream region (GSR) represents an area of robust oceanic eddies, active hurricanes, and more importantly, frequent encounters between the two phenomena. However, the direct impact of the intense storms on the eddy field has seldom been comprehensively examined. Here based on a multi-year analysis of eddy energy changing rate, we demonstrate that hurricanes enhance cyclonic eddies but weaken anticyclonic ones by injecting potential vorticity into the ocean. Such effects are not only pronounced immediately following hurricane-eddy encounters, but also retained for extended periods within large eddies that have long lifespans. Consequently, the variation of the annual mean energy and vorticity of the eddy field exhibits a high correlation with hurricane intensity. It can thus be argued that hurricanes over the GSR play an important role in driving the long-term variation of the underlying eddy field, thereby affecting ocean circulation and climate.
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spelling doaj-art-68ef2878add84d648f991e53f2a047212025-08-20T02:35:40ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-01-011611910.1038/s41467-025-55927-6Hurricane influence on the oceanic eddies in the Gulf Stream regionXinning Ni0Yu Zhang1Wei Wang2Key Laboratory of Physical Oceanography and Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System/Academy of Future Ocean, Ocean University of ChinaKey Laboratory of Physical Oceanography and Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System/Academy of Future Ocean, Ocean University of ChinaKey Laboratory of Physical Oceanography and Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System/Academy of Future Ocean, Ocean University of ChinaAbstract The Gulf Stream region (GSR) represents an area of robust oceanic eddies, active hurricanes, and more importantly, frequent encounters between the two phenomena. However, the direct impact of the intense storms on the eddy field has seldom been comprehensively examined. Here based on a multi-year analysis of eddy energy changing rate, we demonstrate that hurricanes enhance cyclonic eddies but weaken anticyclonic ones by injecting potential vorticity into the ocean. Such effects are not only pronounced immediately following hurricane-eddy encounters, but also retained for extended periods within large eddies that have long lifespans. Consequently, the variation of the annual mean energy and vorticity of the eddy field exhibits a high correlation with hurricane intensity. It can thus be argued that hurricanes over the GSR play an important role in driving the long-term variation of the underlying eddy field, thereby affecting ocean circulation and climate.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-55927-6
spellingShingle Xinning Ni
Yu Zhang
Wei Wang
Hurricane influence on the oceanic eddies in the Gulf Stream region
Nature Communications
title Hurricane influence on the oceanic eddies in the Gulf Stream region
title_full Hurricane influence on the oceanic eddies in the Gulf Stream region
title_fullStr Hurricane influence on the oceanic eddies in the Gulf Stream region
title_full_unstemmed Hurricane influence on the oceanic eddies in the Gulf Stream region
title_short Hurricane influence on the oceanic eddies in the Gulf Stream region
title_sort hurricane influence on the oceanic eddies in the gulf stream region
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-55927-6
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