On the vertical velocity component in the mesoscale Lofoten vortex of the Norwegian Sea

Abstract

For the first time, the concepts of the theory of helical vortices have been applied to the Lofoten vortex of the Norwegian Sea. The estimates for azimuthal and vertical velocities have been obtained from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology general circulation model (MITgcm) for 1992–2012. The columnar vortex model with helical vorticity lines and distributions has been adapted to Scully and Rayleigh vortices. It has been shown that the vortex parameters can be determined simply from mass balance equations. The parameters of the helical vortex simulating the structure of the Lofoten vortex have been found and the radial distributions of azimuthal and vertical velocity components have been constructed. The resulting data can be interesting for an analysis of the three-dimensional structure of mesoscale vortices in the ocean.