Speaker：Prof. Fushing Hsieh (Department of Statistics, University of California, Davis)
Topic：Unravelling global ocean currents and eddies coupled with characteristic temperature and salinity profiles within twilight zone
Speaker：Prof. Fushing Hsieh (Department of Statistics, University of California, Davis)
Time：Sep 5 (Friday) , 2025, 11:10-12:00
Place： 4F-427, Assembly Building I
Abstract
The twilight zone, also known as mesopelagic zone, is the layer between 200m and 1000m depth under the global ocean surface. This is a very characteristically unique and important zone in oceanography. Based on Argo database, we extracted all 4000+ float’s movement trajectories over 10 years, determined the flow-direction within each 1-hundredth grid across the entire globe of oceans, and then applied thin plate spline (PTS) to map out ocean currents and eddies with more in-depth details. Our new scientific findings include the multiple parallel, but opposite directional filamentary jets evidently embracing the Equator and Counter-Equator currents of Pacific Ocean. Beyond the equator region, all data-driven currents and eddies are found being coupled with regional boundaries of thermocline and halocline profiles (of temperature and salinity), respectively. Currents and eddies in 11 famous oceanographic regions, including the spectacular Antarctic Circumpolar Current, are displayed with surprising details. (Based on two joint works with Profs. Shang-Ying Shiu and Ting-Li Chen.)