Observations on the flow structures and transport in a simulated warm-core ring in the Gulf of Mexico

Abstract

This study presents several new observations from the study of a warm-core ring (WCR) in the Gulf of Mexico based on the ECCO2 global ocean simulation. Using Lagrangian coherent structures (LCS) techniques to investigate this flow reveals a pattern of transversely intersecting LCS in the mixed layer of the WCR which experiences consistent stretching behavior over a large region of space and time. A detailed analysis of this flow region leads to an analytical model velocity field which captures the essential elements that generate the transversely intersecting LCS. The model parameters are determined from the WCR and the resulting LCS show excellent agreement with those observed in the WCR. The three-dimensional transport behavior which creates these structures relies on the small radial outflow which is present in the mixed layer and is not seen below the pycnocline, leading to a sharp change in the character of the LCS at the bottom of the mixed layer. The flow behavior revealed by the LCS limits fluid exchange between the WCR and the surrounding ocean, contributing to the long life of WCRs. Further study of these structures and their associated transport behavior may lead to further insights into the development and persistence of such geophysical vortices as well as their transport behavior.