Divergent pathways of cyclonic and anti-cyclonic ocean eddies

R. Morrow (1) , F. Birol (2) , D. Griffin (3) , J. Sudre (4)

1 LEGOS - Laboratoire d'études en Géophysique et océanographie spatiales
2 ECOLA - Echanges Côte-Large
3 Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization Marine Research
4 DYNBIO LEGOS

Satellite altimetry is used to study the propagation pathways of warm and cold ocean eddies in different ocean basins. We consider eddies that have a life span longer than 3 months, and we present three regional studies: in the southeast Indian, the southeast Atlantic, and the northeast Pacific Oceans. The case studies show that simple theories for vortex propagation on a β-plane work in regions where energetic eddies propagate though a weak background flow. Under these conditions, anticyclonic/cyclonic eddies propagate westward and equatorward/poleward. This divergence in the eddy pathways implies a net equatorward eddy heat flux, and has implications for the meridional transport of freshwater, carbon, nutrients, etc.

Mots clés: 4520 Oceanography: Physical: Eddies and mesoscale processes; 4516 Oceanography: Physical: Eastern boundary currents; 4275 Oceanography: General: Remote sensing and electromagnetic processes (0689)

Domaines: Planète et Univers [physics]

R. Morrow, F. Birol, D. Griffin, J. Sudre. Divergent pathways of cyclonic and anti-cyclonic ocean eddies. Geophysical Research Letters, 2004, 31 (24), pp.ISI:000226133200004. ⟨10.1029/2004GL020974⟩. ⟨hal-00434484⟩