The Increased Eddy Kinetic Energy in the California Current System From High‐Resolution Climate Models' Projections

Abstract Mesoscale eddies pervade entire ocean and exert a profound influence on regional and global climate, meaning that their response to climate change is of critical importance. However, our understanding of climate change impacts on mesoscale eddies is largely limited to eddy‐rich regions, such as western boundary currents or Southern Ocean. Here, by employing an ensemble of high‐resolution global climate simulations, we assess the response of eddy kinetic energy (EKE) to greenhouse warming in California Current System (CalCS), a prominent eastern boundary current system. We demonstrate that the EKE in CalCS is projected to increase significantly under global warming. The increasing trend is majorly attributed to enhanced baroclinic instability associated with the projected increase in vertical velocity shear, primarily resulting from the accelerated California Current in the North Pacific. Our study suggests that future changes in oceanic motions in CalCS could be complex, potentially causing significant impacts on regional marine ecosystems.