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Biogeochemical properties of eddies in the California Current System
Author(s) -
Chenillat Fanny,
Franks Peter J. S.,
Combes Vincent
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2016gl068945
Subject(s) - eddy , anticyclone , oceanography , submarine pipeline , plankton , upwelling , current (fluid) , mesoscale meteorology , environmental science , new production , geology , biogeochemical cycle , climatology , meteorology , ecology , geography , turbulence , phytoplankton , nutrient , biology
The California Current System (CCS) has intense mesoscale activity that modulates and exports biological production from the coastal upwelling system. To characterize and quantify the ability of mesoscale eddies to affect the local and regional planktonic ecosystem of the CCS, we analyzed a 10 year‐long physical‐biological model simulation, using eddy detection and tracking to isolate the dynamics of cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies. As they propagate westward across the shelf, cyclonic eddies efficiently transport coastal planktonic organisms and maintain locally elevated production for up to 1 year (800 km offshore). Anticyclonic eddies, on the other hand, have a limited impact on local production over their ~6 month lifetime as they propagate 400 km offshore. At any given time ~8% of the model domain was covered by eddy cores. Though the eddies cover a small area, they explain ~50 and 20% of the transport of nitrate and plankton, respectively.