Observations of different effects of an anti-cyclonic eddy on internal solitary waves in the South China Sea

Internal solitary waves (ISWs) were observed by mooring data in the South China Sea in August and September 2014. Normally the arrival pattern of ISWs is relatively regular and the ISW amplitudes have a positive correlation with the magnitude of semidiurnal tidal currents near the Luzon Strait. However, the ISW amplitudes observed in the second spring tide of September are significantly large when an anti-cyclonic eddy is passing the mooring. When an ISW passes the eddy center, its amplitude reduces to nearly zero, but when an ISW passes the eddy edge, its amplitude increases by 50%. A deepened thermocline always damps the ISW amplitudes, whilst the eddy-induced background currents at different locations may have varied effects on the ISW amplitudes, e.g., the background current at the eddy center tends to damp the ISW amplitude but that at the eddy edge amplifies the ISW amplitude. The different effects of a deepened thermocline and eddy-induced background currents near the eddy edge may damp or amplify the ISW amplitude.