An Experimental Study on the Influence of Topographic Forcing on Western Boundary Current

The purpose of this experiment is to simulate the western boundary current and sea floor topography by using the laboratory turntable, the sloping surface with constant angle, the cylindrical obstacles and the water pump. The particle image velocimetry technology was used to explore the surface flow field. The flow pattern and energy distribution of the western boundary flow model were discussed when the local obstacles were located at different positions of the western boundary current, so as to explore the generation position, propagation path and life span of the eddies. The experimental results show that in a barotropic mode, the topographic obstacles invading the western boundary flow can generate flow with large eddy kinetic energy downstream and can be considered as the Kuroshio extension. Furthermore, unsteady eddies are generated and then propagate due to the strong instability of the flow. In addition, terrain obstacles can also lead to the bifurcation of the western boundary current and generate reflux vortexes, which will change the flow and energy flux distribution of the western boundary current.