TY - JOUR

T1 - Estimating Agulhas Leakage by Means of Satellite Altimetry and Argo Data

AU - Malysheva, A. A.

AU - Kubryakov, A. A.

AU - Koldunov, A. V.

AU - Belonenko, T. V.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2020, Pleiades Publishing, Ltd. Copyright: Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

PY - 2020/12

Y1 - 2020/12

N2 - Abstract: The study of mesoscale eddies provides an understanding of entire systems of interconnected oceanic characteristics. Mesoscale eddies have their own dynamics, which are dominated by nonlinear effects. Unlike waves, they can transfer heat, mass, kinetic energy, and biochemical characteristics from the region of their formation over vast distances, influencing climate fluctuations. “Agulhas leakage” refers to the waters exported from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean by the Agulhas system of currents. These waters consist mainly of upper and intermediate waters of Indo-Oceanic origin. Mesoscale eddies formed by the Agulhas Current are the dominant structures that transport the waters of the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic. This work studies the Agulhas leakage via a comprehensive analysis of altimetry maps and Argo float data. Argo floats captured by the flow allow the vertical structure of Agulhas leakage eddies to be studied. It is found that the mesoscale eddies of the Agulhas leakage travel thousands of kilometers across the Atlantic while retaining their structure. It is shown that the mean Agulhas leakage transport by one mesoscale eddy is 8.5 Sv. The transport of heat and salt by an individual Agulhas leakage eddy is 2.25 × 109 W and 5.36 × 105 kg s−1, respectively. The heat and salt anomalies inside the eddy are 2.03 × 1015 J and 4.83 × 1011 kg, respectively.

AB - Abstract: The study of mesoscale eddies provides an understanding of entire systems of interconnected oceanic characteristics. Mesoscale eddies have their own dynamics, which are dominated by nonlinear effects. Unlike waves, they can transfer heat, mass, kinetic energy, and biochemical characteristics from the region of their formation over vast distances, influencing climate fluctuations. “Agulhas leakage” refers to the waters exported from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean by the Agulhas system of currents. These waters consist mainly of upper and intermediate waters of Indo-Oceanic origin. Mesoscale eddies formed by the Agulhas Current are the dominant structures that transport the waters of the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic. This work studies the Agulhas leakage via a comprehensive analysis of altimetry maps and Argo float data. Argo floats captured by the flow allow the vertical structure of Agulhas leakage eddies to be studied. It is found that the mesoscale eddies of the Agulhas leakage travel thousands of kilometers across the Atlantic while retaining their structure. It is shown that the mean Agulhas leakage transport by one mesoscale eddy is 8.5 Sv. The transport of heat and salt by an individual Agulhas leakage eddy is 2.25 × 109 W and 5.36 × 105 kg s−1, respectively. The heat and salt anomalies inside the eddy are 2.03 × 1015 J and 4.83 × 1011 kg, respectively.

KW - altimetry

KW - Argo

KW - Atlantic

KW - Indian

KW - mesoscale eddies

KW - Rossby waves

KW - sea level

KW - sea level anomalies

KW - SLA

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85102194424&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1134/S0001433820120476

DO - 10.1134/S0001433820120476

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85102194424

VL - 56

SP - 1581

EP - 1589

JO - Izvestiya - Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics

JF - Izvestiya - Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics

SN - 0001-4338

IS - 12

ER -