Influence of Different Flow Patterns of Kuroshio on Submesoscale Kinetic Energy in the northern South China Sea revealed by mooring data

Utilizing mooring observations from four sites in the northern South China Sea, spanning from September 2015 to August 2022, along with high-resolution simulation data, we explore how different Kuroshio flow patterns—Looping, Leaping, and Leaking—impact submesoscale kinetic energy (SKE) in the Luzon Strait and the adjacent Dongsha area.The mooring data required to process Figs. 1d, 1f and Fig. 2 were plotted using MATLAB, with the kinetic energy spectrum analysed in Fig. 1d, 1f, and vertical profiles and bar graphs in Fig. 2.