RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF EARTH SCIENCES, VOL. 21, ES4005, doi:10.2205/2021ES000764, 2021

Three-Dimensional Structure of the mesoscale eddies in the Agulhas Current region from hydrological and altimetry data

Sandalyuk, N. V. and T. V. Belonenko

Abstract

In this work by implementing the method of colocalization the altimetry data and temperature and salinity profiles we provide a detailed study of the averaged thermohaline structure of the anticyclonic and cyclonic mesoscale eddies formed in the southern part of the Agulhas Current system. The observed intensification of eddy dissipation processes can be caused by the topographic barriers, such as the Agulhas Plateau or the Agulhas Ridge. In the eddies of both polarities significant temperature anomalies are concentrated within the distance of one radius from the eddy center and to the depth of ∼ 1500 m. The obtained averaged estimates of heat and salt transported by the Agulhas Rings is 2.38×1020 J and 4.79×1012 kg respectively. Westward propagation of the zonal eddy-induced transport for anticyclonic and cyclonic eddies is observed in the Agulhas Retroflection region, Cape Basin and in the central part of the shelf zone with the maximum values of 4 Sv/deg² for anticyclonic eddies and 1.77 Sv/deg² for cyclonic eddies.

Received 29 October 2020; accepted 31 March 2021; published 27 August 2021.

Citation: Sandalyuk, N. V. and T. V. Belonenko (2021), Three-Dimensional Structure of the mesoscale eddies in the Agulhas Current region from hydrological and altimetry data, Russ. J. Earth Sci., 21, ES4005, doi:10.2205/2021ES000764.