Eddy Center Research Articles

Air-sea heat fluxes associated to mesoscale eddies in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean and their dependence on different regional conditions

Heat fluxes between the ocean and the atmosphere largely represent the link between the two media. A possible mechanism of interaction is generated by mesoscale ocean eddies. In this work we evaluate if eddies in Southwestern Atlantic (SWA) Ocean may significantly affect flows between the ocean and the atmosphere. Atmospherics conditions associated with eddies were examined using data of sea surface temperature (SST), sensible (SHF) and latent heat flux (LHF) from NCEP–CFSR reanalysis. On average, we found that NCEP–CFSR reanalysis adequately reflects the variability expected from eddies in the SWA, considering the classical eddy-pumping theory: anticyclonic (cyclonic) eddies cause maximum positive (negative) anomalies with maximum mean anomalies of 0.5 °C (−0.5 °C) in SST, 6 W/m2 (−4 W/m2) in SHF and 12 W/m2 (−9 W/m2) in LHF. However, a regional dependence of heat fluxes associated to mesoscale cyclonic eddies was found: in the turbulent Brazil–Malvinas Confluence (BMC) region they are related with positive heat flux anomaly (ocean heat loss), while in the rest of the SWA they behave as expected (ocean heat gain). We argue that eddy-pumping do not cool enough the center of the cyclonic eddies in the BMC region simply because most of them trapped very warm waters when they originate in the subtropics. The article therefore concludes that in the SWA: (1) a robust link exists between the SST anomalies generated by eddies and the local anomalous heat flow between the ocean and the atmosphere; (2) in the BMC region cyclonic eddies are related with positive heat anomalies, contrary to what is expected.

Effects of mesoscale eddies on the volume transport and branch pattern of the Kuroshio east of Taiwan

AbstractUsing satellite altimeter data and a long‐term altimetric transport index for the Kuroshio inflow northeast of Taiwan, the effects of mesoscale eddies on the Kuroshio volume transport (KVT) at the East Taiwan Channel and the branching pattern of the Kuroshio east of Taiwan are investigated at scales from those of individual events to interannual timescales. Both anticyclonic and cyclonic eddies are found to be able either to strengthen or weaken the KVT, depending on the relative strength of mass convergence and divergence produced upstream and downstream of the eddies. The major factor influencing the intensity of the Kuroshio inflow is the meridional location of the eddies. For single eddy events, the KVT is significantly correlated with the latitude of the eddy's center, the correlations being 0.44 and −0.48 for anticyclonic and cyclonic eddies, respectively. For dipole eddy events, when the direction angle falls in the interval 40–150° (240–300°), the KVT anomaly tends to be positive (negative). Furthermore, low KVT events generally correspond to the formation of the Ryukyu Current branch, which is also generated from strong mass divergence produced by the eddies. In addition, on interannual timescales, the variation of KVT is closely related to the relative number of anticyclonic to cyclonic eddies west of 125°E, with a correlation of 0.5.

An eddy tracking algorithm based on dynamical systems theory

This work introduces a new method for ocean eddy detection that applies concepts from stationary dynamical systems theory. The method is composed of three steps: first, the centers of eddies are obtained from fixed points and their linear stability analysis; second, the size of the eddies is estimated from the vorticity between the eddy center and its neighboring fixed points, and, third, a tracking algorithm connects the different time frames. The tracking algorithm has been designed to avoid mismatching connections between eddies at different frames. Eddies are detected for the period between 1992 and 2012 using geostrophic velocities derived from AVISO altimetry and a new database is provided for the global ocean.

The wineglass effect shapes particle export to the deep ocean in mesoscale eddies

AbstractMesoscale eddies in the ocean strongly impact the distribution of planktonic particles, mediating carbon fluxes over ~1/3 of the world ocean. However, mechanisms controlling particle transport through eddies are complex and challenging to measure in situ. Here we show the subsurface distribution of eddy particles funneled into a wineglass shape down to 1000 m, leading to a sevenfold increase of vertical carbon flux in the eddy center versus the eddy flanks, the “wineglass effect”. We show that the slope of the wineglass (R) is the ratio of particle sinking velocity to the radially inward velocity, such that R represents a tool to predict radial particle movement (here 0.05 m s−1). A simple model of eddy spindown predicts such an ageostrophic flow concentrating particles in the eddy center. We explore how size‐specific particle flux toward the eddy center impacts eddies' biogeochemistry and export fluxes.

Silicon and nitrogen cycling in the upwelling area off Peru: A dual isotope approach

We present a comparison of the dissolved stable isotope composition of silicate (δ30Si(OH)4) and nitrate (δ15 inline image) to investigate the biogeochemical processes controlling nutrient cycling in the upwelling area off Peru, where one of the globally largest Oxygen Minimum Zones (OMZs) is located. Besides strong upwelling of nutrient rich waters mainly favoring diatom growth, an anticyclonic eddy influenced the study area. We observe a tight coupling between the silicon (Si) and nitrogen (N) cycles in the study area. Waters on the shelf showed high Si(OH)4 concentrations accompanied by diminished inline image concentration as a consequence of intense remineralization, high Si fluxes from the shelf sediments, and N-loss processes such as anammox/denitrification within the OMZ. Correspondingly, the surface waters show low δ30Si(OH)4 values (+2‰) due to low Si utilization but relatively high δ15 inline image (+13‰) values due to upwelling of waters influenced by N-loss processes. In contrast, as a consequence of the deepening of the thermocline in the eddy center, a pronounced Si(OH)4 depletion led to the highest δ30Si(OH)4 values (+3.7‰) accompanied by high δ15 inline image values (+16‰). In the eddy center, high inline image: Si(OH)4 ratios favored the growth of non-siliceous organisms (Synechococcus). Our data show that upwelling processes and the presence of eddies play important roles controlling the nutrient cycles and therefore also exert a major influence on the phytoplankton communities in the Peruvian Upwelling. Our findings also show that the combined approach of δ30Si(OH)4 and δ15 inline image can improve our understanding of paleo records as it can help to disentangle utilization and N-loss processes.

Dynamics and role of the Durban cyclonic eddy in the KwaZulu-Natal Bight ecosystem

The semi-permanent Durban Eddy is a mesoscale, lee-trapped, cold-core cyclonic circulation that occurs off the east coast of South Africa between Durban in the north and Sezela, some 70 km to the south. When present, strong north-eastward countercurrents reaching 100 cm s–1 are found inshore. It is hypothesised that the cyclone is driven by the strong south-westward flowing Agulhas Current offshore of the regressing shelf edge near Durban. Analysis of ADCP data and satellite imagery shows the eddy to be present off Durban approximately 55% of the time, with an average lifespan of 8.6 days, and inter-eddy periods of 4 to 8 days. After spin-up the eddy breaks loose from its lee position and propagates downstream on the inshore boundary of the Agulhas Current. The eddy is highly variable in occurrence, strength and downstream propagation speeds. There is no detectable seasonal cycle in eddy occurrence, with the Natal Pulse causing more variability than any seasonal signal. A thermistor array deployed in the eddy centre, together with ship CTD data, indicates upward doming of the thermal structure in the eddy core associated with cooler water and nutrients being moved higher in the water column, stimulating primary production. Together with the use of satellite imagery, our findings indicate a second mechanism of upwelling, viz. divergent upwelling in the northern limb of the eddy. Satellite-tracked surface drifters released in the eddy demonstrated the potential for nutrient-rich eddy water to be transported northwards along the inshore regions of the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Bight, thus contributing to the functioning of the bight ecosystem, as well as southwards along the KZN and Transkei coasts – both by the eddy migrating downstream and by eddy water being recirculated into the inshore boundary of the Agulhas Current itself.

Physical-Biological Coupling in the Western South China Sea: The Response of Phytoplankton Community to a Mesoscale Cyclonic Eddy.

It is widely recognized that the mesoscale eddies play an important part in the biogeochemical cycle in ocean ecosystem, especially in the oligotrophic tropical zones. So here a heterogeneous cyclonic eddy in its flourishing stage was detected using remote sensing and in situ biogeochemical observation in the western South China Sea (SCS) in early September, 2007. The high-performance liquid chromatography method was used to identify the photosynthetic pigments. And the CHEMical TAXonomy (CHEMTAX) was applied to calculate the contribution of nine phytoplankton groups to the total chlorophyll a (TChl a) biomass. The deep chlorophyll a maximum layer (DCML) was raised to form a dome structure in the eddy center while there was no distinct enhancement for TChl a biomass. The integrated TChl a concentration in the upper 100 m water column was also constant from the eddy center to the surrounding water outside the eddy. However the TChl a biomass in the surface layer (at 5 m) in the eddy center was promoted 2.6-fold compared to the biomass outside the eddy (p < 0.001). Thus, the slight enhancement of TChl a biomass of euphotic zone integration within the eddy was mainly from the phytoplankton in the upper mixed zone rather than the DCML. The phytoplankton community was primarily contributed by diatoms, prasinophytes, and Synechococcus at the DCML within the eddy, while less was contributed by haptophytes_8 and Prochlorococcus. The TChl a biomass for most of the phytoplankton groups increased at the surface layer in the eddy center under the effect of nutrient pumping. The doming isopycnal within the eddy supplied nutrients gently into the upper mixing layer, and there was remarkable enhancement in phytoplankton biomass at the surface layer with 10.5% TChl a biomass of water column in eddy center and 3.7% at reference stations. So the slight increasing in the water column integrated phytoplankton biomass might be attributed to the stimulated phytoplankton biomass at the surface layer.

Numerical study on the eddy–mean flow interaction between a cyclonic eddy and Kuroshio

A three-dimensional primitive equations ocean model (POM) is employed to study the momentum and energy balance of a moving cyclonic eddy (CE) during eddy–mean flow interaction. The CE generated by an idealized typhoon forms to the east of the Philippine islands. A momentum balance analysis shows that the dynamics of the CE are generally dominated by the geostrophic current throughout the life cycle of the CE. An energy analysis suggests that the eddy kinetic energy (EKE) and the eddy potential energy (EPE) decay rapidly after generation. The maximum EPE initially appears at the surface of the eddy center and gradually appears in the subsurface layer. The largest baroclinic instability (BCI) initially occurs at the surface. For a CE moving along a trajectory, the conversion from mean potential energy (MPE) to the EPE is positive (negative) in the front (rear) part of the trajectory, and then the eddy transfers its EPE forward along its trajectory by means of the front (rear) part of the eddy obtaining (losing) EPE from (to) the mean flow. During the interaction stage, the northward flowing Kuroshio interacts with the southward flow on the western side of the eddy and the inverse velocity shear between the Kuroshio and the eddy causes the EKE to gradually develop east–west asymmetry. The largest barotropic instability (BTI) is found in the interaction zone. Advection term, pressure work, and friction term play the dominating role in eddy decay in the eddy zone, while BTI only dominates in the interaction zone.

Case study on the three-dimensional structure of meso-scale eddy in the South China Sea based on a high-resolution model

Meso-scale eddies are important features in the South China Sea (SCS). The eddies with diameters of 50–200 km can greatly impact the transport of heat, momentum, and tracers. A high-resolution wave-tide-circulation coupled model was developed to simulate the meso-scale eddy in the SCS in this study. The aim of this study is to examine the model ability to simulate the meso-scale eddy in the SCS without data assimilations The simulated Sea Surface Height (SSH) anomalies agree with the observed the AVISO SSH anomalies well. The simulated subsurface temperature profiles agree with the CTD observation data from the ROSE (Responses of Marine Hazards to climate change in the Western Pacific) project. The simulated upper-ocean currents also agree with the main circulation based on observations. A warm eddy is identified in winter in the northern SCS. The position and domain of the simulated eddy are confirmed by the observed sea surface height data from the AVISO. The result shows that the model has the ability to simulate the meso-scale eddy in the SCS without data assimilation. The three-dimensional structure of the meso-scale eddy in the SCS is analyzed using the model result. It is found that the eddy center is tilted vertically, which agrees with the observation. It is also found that the velocity center of the eddy does not coincide with the temperature center of the eddy. The result shows that the model has the ability to simulate the meso-scale eddy in the SCS without data assimilations. Further study on the forming mechanism and the three-dimensional structure of the meso-scale eddies will be carried out using the model result and cruise observation data in the near future.

Glider and satellite high resolution monitoring of a mesoscale eddy in the algerian basin: Effects on the mixed layer depth and biochemistry

ABSTRACT Despite an extensive bibliography for the circulation of the Mediterranean Sea and its sub-basins, the debate on mesoscale dynamics and their impacts on bio-chemical processes is still open because of their intrinsic time scales and of the difficulties in their sampling. In order to clarify some of these processes, the “Algerian BAsin Circulation Unmanned Survey-ABACUS” project was proposed and realized through access to the JERICO Trans National Access (TNA) infrastructure between September and December 2014. In this framework, a deep glider cruise was carried out in the area between the Balearic Islands and the Algerian coast to establish a repeat line for monitoring of the basin circulation. During the mission a mesoscale eddy, identified on satellite altimetry maps, was sampled at high-spatial horizontal resolution (4 km) along its main axes and from the surface to 1000 m depth. Data were collected by a Slocum glider equipped with a pumped CTD and biochemical sensors that collected about 100 complete casts inside the eddy. In order to describe the structure of the eddy, in situ data were merged with next generation remotely sensed data: daily synoptic sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll concentration (Chl-a) images from the MODIS satellites, as well as sea surface height and geostrophic velocities from AVISO. From its origin along the Algerian coast in the eastern part of the basin, the eddy propagated northwest at a mean speed of about 4 km/day, with a mean diameter of 112–130 km, mean amplitude of 15.7 cm; the eddy was clearly distinguished from the surrounding waters thanks to its higher SST and Chl-a values. Temperature and salinity values over the water column confirm the origin of the eddy from the Algerian Current (AC) showing the presence of recent Atlantic water in the surface layer and Levantine Intermediate Water (LIW) in the deeper layer. The eddy footprint is clearly evident in the multiparametric vertical sections conducted along its main axis. Deepening of temperature, salinity and density isolines at the center of the eddy is associated with variations in Chl-a, oxygen concentration and turbidity patterns. In particular, at 50 m depth along the eddy borders, Chl-a values are higher (1.1–5.2 μg/l) in comparison with the eddy center (0.5–0.7 μg/l) with maximum values found in the southeastern sector of the eddy. Calculation of geostrophic velocities along transects and vertical quasi-geostrophic velocities (QG-w) over a regular 5 km grid from the glider data helped to describe the mechanisms and functioning of the eddy. QG-w presents an asymmetric pattern, with relatively strong downwelling in the western part of the eddy and upwelling in the southeastern part. This asymmetry in the vertical velocity pattern, which brings LIW into the euphotic layer as well as advection from the northeastern sector of the eddy, may explain the observed increases in Chl-a values.

Efectos de un remolino de mesoescala sobre la distribución de larvas de peces mesopelágicas en el Golfo de California

We examined the effect of a mesoscale cyclonic eddy on the three-dimensional distribution of Vinciguerria lucetia and Diogenichthys laternatus in southern Gulf of California during July 2010. CTD data and zooplankton samples collected with a closing-opening net (505 µm), were obtained on 2 transects across the eddy, and on a transect outside of the mesoscale structure. In the later the thermocline depth was at ~40 m where larvae V. lucetia dominated. Opposite to V. lucetia distribution, D. laternatus larvae was the dominant species in the deepest strata. In the area influenced by the cyclonic eddy (~350 m depth and ~60 km diameter), the thermocline was sunk from ~25 m (eddy edge) to ~50 m depth (eddy center). The isotherms below the thermocline formed a dome from ~350 m to ~100 m depth in the eddy center. This upwelling coincided with an increase of D. laternatus larvae in the water column. Compared with the transect outside of the cyclonic eddy, the shoaling of the isotherms inside the eddy produced not only an increase of D. laternatus larvae, also decreased the V. lucetia abundance. These variations in larval distribution of both mesopelagic species are closely correlated with the mesoscale cyclonic eddy.

Cross-shelf transport, oxygen depletion, and nitrate release within a forming mesoscale eddy in the eastern Indian Ocean

Mesoscale eddies may drive a significant component of cross-shelf transport important in the ecology of shelf ecosystems and adjacent boundary currents. The Leeuwin Current in the eastern Indian Ocean becomes unstable in the austral autumn triggering the formation of eddies. We hypothesized that eddy formation represented the major driver of cross-shelf transport during the autumn. Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler profiles confirmed periodic offshore movement of ∼2 Sv of shelf waters into the forming eddy from the shelf, carrying a load of organic particles (>0.06 mm). The gap between inflow and outflow then closed, such that the eddy became isolated from further direct input of shelf waters. Drifter tracks supported an anticyclonic surface flow peaking at the eddy perimeter and decreasing in velocity at the eddy center. Oxygen and nutrient profiles suggested rapid remineralization of nitrate mid-depth in the isolated water mass as it rotated, with a total drawdown of oxygen of 3.6 mol m−2 to 350 m. Depletion of oxygen, and release of nitrate, occurred on the timescale of ∼1 week. We suggest that N supply and N turnover are rapid in this system, such that nitrate is acting primarily as a regenerated nutrient rather than as a source of new nitrogen. We hypothesize that sources of eddy particulate C and N could include particles sourced from coastal primary producers within ∼500 km such as macrophytes and seagrasses known to produce copious detritus, which is prone to resuspension and offshore transport.

PERGESERAN HALMAHERA EDDY KAITANNYA DENGAN PRODUKTIVITAS TANGKAPAN IKAN CAKALANG DI PERAIRAN SEKITARNYA

The water between Mindanao and New Guinea is one of areas fisheries potential skipjack (Katsuwanus pelamis) most advanced in the western pacific. The main of fisheries industry this type of dominated by purse-seine by large size (50-100 Gross Tonnage). The role of a Halmahera Eddy is very importance in the dynamics of fisheries in the region, but there is no that explain it yet. Data series arrest skipjack catch per unit of effort (CPUE) of Western Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) for a decade the period July 2002-December 2012 analyzed in order to see the relationship between shifting Halmahera Eddy with the productivity skipjack in the study areas. The results show that the productivity skipjack in the study areas correlates strongly against a meridional shifting of Halmahera Eddy where CPUE showing an increase in skipjack with lag time on two months after Halmahera Eddy center shifted to the north. While to zonal shifting have a correlation in which weak.

Linear instability of constant PV cold‐core eddies in a two‐layer ocean

The linear instability of a constant potential vorticity cold‐core eddy is studied in a two‐layer shallow water model. The basic state consists of the nonlinear gradient balance with uniform potential vorticity, and in a cold‐core eddy these two relations have no analytic solution. Numerical solutions of the basic state structure provide a functional relation between the maximum tangential velocity and the ratio of the eddy's maximal depth and its radius. The maximal growth rates of small amplitude wavelike disturbances are found numerically by employing the shooting to fitting point method, applied in a way that guarantees the regularity of the solutions at the singular points: infinity, eddy centre and the radius where the interface outcrops. Our results show that wave‐numbers 2, 3 and 4 are unstable with growth rates of the order of 1 day at small ocean depth and that the growth rates decay with the ocean depth. The instabilities result from the interaction between a lower‐layer Rossby wave and an upper‐layer Frontal wave. An energy equation for the perturbations shows that the decay of the growth rates with the increase in ocean depth results from the decay of both the Reynolds Stress in the upper layer and the baroclinic energy conversion between the two layers. The decay of the Reynolds Stress with ocean depth was not found in studies of ocean currents which explains the fact that eddies become stable in a 1‐layer model while currents can be unstable at large ocean depth. Comparison with long‐lived eddies in the ocean suggests that the current model should be made more realistic before it can be applied to observed eddies.

Three-Dimensional Flow in a Driven Cavity Subjected to an External Magnetic Field

In this paper, we study the three-dimensional (3D) flow of an electrically conducting fluid in a cubic cavity with the top wall moving and subjected to an external magnetic field. The governing flow and electromagnetic field equations are integrated by a second-order space and time accurate numerical scheme, implemented on a graphics processing unit (GPU) with high parallel efficiency. Solutions for several Reynolds and Stuart numbers have been obtained on sufficiently fine grids to achieve grid independent solutions. As expected, the magnetic field significantly influences the circulation in the cavity and modifies the shape and locations of the primary and secondary eddies. The observed flow patterns are illustrated graphically as well as through selected line plots and tabulated data. With increasing magnetic field strength, the center of the primary eddy is seen to shift to the top right corner. Further, situations where the flow is unsteady in the absence of the magnetic field have become steady after a certain value of the magnetic interaction parameter.

N‐loss isotope effects in the Peru oxygen minimum zone studied using a mesoscale eddy as a natural tracer experiment

AbstractMesoscale eddies in Oxygen Minimum Zones (OMZs) have been identified as important fixed nitrogen (N) loss hotspots that may significantly impact both the global rate of N‐loss as well as the ocean's N isotope budget. They also represent “natural tracer experiments” with intensified biogeochemical signals that can be exploited to understand the large‐scale processes that control N‐loss and associated isotope effects (ε; the ‰ deviation from 1 in the ratio of reaction rate constants for the light versus heavy isotopologues). We observed large ranges in the concentrations and N and O isotopic compositions of nitrate (NO3−), nitrite (NO2−), and biogenic N2 associated with an anticyclonic mode‐water eddy in the Peru OMZ during two cruises in November and December 2012. In the eddy's center where NO3− was nearly exhausted, we measured the highest δ15N values for both NO3− and NO2− (up to ~70‰ and 50‰) ever reported for an OMZ. Correspondingly, N deficit and biogenic N2‐N concentrations were also the highest near the eddy's center (up to ~40 µmol L−1). δ15N‐N2 also varied with biogenic N2 production, following kinetic isotopic fractionation during NO2− reduction to N2 and, for the first time, provided an independent assessment of N isotope fractionation during OMZ N‐loss. We found apparent variable ε for NO3− reduction (up to ~30‰ in the presence of NO2−). However, the overall ε for N‐loss was calculated to be only ~13–14‰ (as compared to canonical values of ~20–30‰) assuming a closed system and only slightly higher assuming an open system (16–19‰). Our results were similar whether calculated from the disappearance of DIN (NO3− + NO2−) or from the appearance of N2 and changes in isotopic composition. Further, we calculated the separate ε values for NO3− reduction to NO2− and NO2− reduction to N2 of ~16–21‰ and ~12‰, respectively, when the effect of NO2− oxidation could be removed. These results, together with the relationship between N and O of NO3− isotopes and the difference in δ15N between NO3− and NO2−, confirm a role for NO2− oxidation in increasing the apparent ε associated with NO3− reduction. The lower ε for N‐loss calculated in this study could help reconcile the current imbalance in the global N budget if representative of global OMZ N‐loss.

Modification of turbulent dissipation rates by a deep Southern Ocean eddy

AbstractThe impact of a mesoscale eddy on the magnitude and spatial distribution of diapycnal ocean mixing is investigated using a set of hydrographic and microstructure measurements collected in the Southern Ocean. These data sampled a baroclinic, middepth eddy formed during the disintegration of a deep boundary current. Turbulent dissipation is suppressed within the eddy but is elevated by up to an order of magnitude along the upper and lower eddy boundaries. A ray tracing approximation is employed as a heuristic device to elucidate how the internal wave field evolves in the ambient velocity and stratification conditions accompanying the eddy. These calculations are consistent with the observations, suggesting reflection of internal wave energy from the eddy center and enhanced breaking through critical layer processes along the eddy boundaries. These results have important implications for understanding where and how internal wave energy is dissipated in the presence of energetic deep geostrophic flows.

The signature of mesoscale eddies on the air‐sea turbulent heat fluxes in the South Atlantic Ocean

AbstractBy collocating 10 years (1999–2009) of remotely sensed surface turbulent heat fluxes with satellite altimetry data, we investigate the impact of oceanic mesoscale eddies on the latent and sensible heat fluxes in the South Atlantic Ocean. In strongly energetic regions, such as the Brazil–Malvinas confluence and the Agulhas Current Retroflection, eddies explain up to 20% of the total variance in the surface turbulent heat fluxes with averaged anomalies of ± (10–20) W/m2. Cyclonic (anticyclonic, respectively) eddies are associated with negative (positive) heat flux anomalies that tend to cool (warm) the marine atmospheric boundary layer. A composite analysis of the turbulent heat flux anomalies inside the eddies reveals a direct relationship between eddy amplitude and the intensity of such anomalies. In addition, these anomalies are stronger near the eddy center, decaying radially to reach minimum values outside the eddies.

A note on the onset of recirculation in a 2D Couette flow over a wavy bottom

Laminar Couette flow over a fixed wavy surface was studied with direct numerical simulation in a 2D periodic numerical domain. The mesh was generated by a conformal transformation that sets horizontal flow at the top of the domain, where a constant velocity boundary condition is given. The bottom of the domain is a wavy sinusoidal surface of wave slope 2πa/λ. The combined effect of bottom shape, inertia, and viscosity was explored using different Reynolds numbers (Re) and two dimensionless parameters in terms of channel width h, wavelength λ, and the amplitude of the wavy bottom a. Even if the Reynolds number was large, the simulations were not perturbed so the regime was always laminar. However, a recirculation appeared at the vicinity of the trough. The horizontal location of the eddy center was reported as a function of 2πa/λ and Reλ/h. The conditions for the onset of this recirculation were studied and compared with results from the literature. Two regimes can be clearly identified from the numerical results; a viscous regime with a weak dependence between 2πa/λ and Reλ/h for small Reynolds numbers and an inertial regime with an exponential dependence between 2πa/λ and Reλ/h for large Reynolds numbers, which presents an approximate slope of −1/3. Almost all results collapse in one single curve that characterizes the phenomenon (with the exception of some points where the flow is confined due to a large λ/h ratio).

Long‐lived mesoscale eddies in the eastern Mediterranean Sea: Analysis of 20 years of AVISO geostrophic velocities

AbstractWe analyzed 20 years of AVISO data set to detect and characterize long‐lived eddies, which stay coherent more than 6 months, in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. In order to process the coarse gridded ( ) AVISO geostrophic velocity fields, we optimized a geometrical eddy detection algorithm. Our main contribution was to implement a new procedure based on the computation of the Local and Normalized Angular Momentum (LNAM) to identify the positions of the eddy centers and to follow their Lagrangian trajectories. We verify on two mesoscale anticyclones, sampled during the EGYPT campaign in 2006, that our methodology provides a correct estimation of the eddy centers and their characteristic radius corresponding to the maximal tangential velocity. Our analysis reveals the dominance of anticyclones among the long‐lived eddies. This cyclone‐anticyclone asymmetry appears to be much more pronounced in eastern Mediterranean Sea than in the global ocean. Then we focus our study on the formation areas of long‐lived eddies. We confirm that the generations of the Ierapetra and the Pelops anticyclones are recurrent and correlated to the Etesian wind forcing. We also provide some evidence that the smaller cyclonic eddies formed at the southwest of Crete may also be induced by the same wind forcing. On the other hand, the generation of long‐lived eddies along the Libyo‐Egyptian coast are not correlated to the local wind‐stress curl but surprisingly, their initial formation points follow the Herodotus Trough bathymetry. Moreover, we identify a new formation area, not discussed before, along the curved shelf off Benghazi.