Abstract:

Mesoscale eddies are ubiquitous in the ocean and play a key role in the transport of oceanic energy and matter. Current observation methods for mesoscale eddies includesatellite remote sensing, buoy tracking, and research vessel surveys. Each of these methods offer sdistinct scales and perspectives, resulting in varying mesoscale information standards and characteristics.Based on three mesoscale eddy datasets obtained using different methods, this study proposes a two-stage fusion strategy to generatea fused mesoscale eddy dataset for the South China Sea. Moreover,it analyzes the spatial distribution of mesoscale eddy centers in the South China Sea from 2014 to 2018.Results reveal that the fused dataset effectively mitigates issues such as over identification, omission, and misidentification found in single-source observations. Additionally, the fused dataset accurately reflects the wide spread spatial distribution of mesoscale eddies in the South China Sea, the substantial local aggregation of cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies, and clear partitioning between cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies. Furthermore, the fused dataset for the South can offerreliable data support for studies related totrajectory tracking of mesoscale eddies, inferring their three-dimensional structures, and understanding mesoscale oceanic phenomena and circulation.

Key words: mesoscale eddies, the South China Sea, sea level anomaly, satellite remote sensing, buoy tracking