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Cyclonic and anticyclonic motion in the upper ocean
Author(s) -
Griffa Annalisa,
Lumpkin Rick,
Veneziani Milena
Publication year - 2008
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 - 10.1029/2007gl032100
Subject(s) - anticyclone , drifter , geology , eddy , climatology , latitude , front (military) , water mass , oceanography , geodesy , meteorology , turbulence , lagrangian , geography , physics , mathematical physics
Upper ocean variability is highly energetic and contributes to key processes such as heat transport and water mass formation. Here, the distribution of ocean surface cyclonic and anticyclonic motion is computed from global drifter observations for scales from large eddies to submesoscale. Two zonal bands of small‐scale motion are recovered: a known anticyclonic band at 30°–40° latitude, mostly wind‐induced, and an unexpected cyclonic band at 10°–20° latitude. It is suggested that this is due to submesoscale processes related to salinity front instabilities. These results provide a first global view of the upper ocean including these motions.