Satellite Radar Observations of Small Eddies in the White, Barents and Kara Seas

• Published in: Physical Oceanography
• Main Authors: O.A. Atadzhanova, A.V. Zimin, D.A. Romanenkov, I.E. Kozlov
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Federal State Budget Scientific Institution «Marine Hydrophysical Institute of RAS» 2017
• Subjects: sub-mesoscale eddies; satellite radar images; statistics of vortex formation; the White Sea; the Barents Sea; the Kara Sea; Oceanography; GC1-1581; Svalbard; Barents Sea; Kara Sea; White Sea; Kola Peninsula; Yamal Peninsula; Solovetsky; Sverdrup Islands; dvina; Dvina Bay; kola peninsula; Novaya Zemlya; Solovetsky Islands
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.22449/1573-160X-2017-2-75-83; https://doaj.org/article/60a1d02a05ac4a979ea701f6f5cc13f5

Analysis of space-time variability of small (submesoscale) eddies identified in satellite radar images during the warm season in the White (2009 – 2012), Barents and Kara (2007) Seas is presented. Determination of eddy locations, their diameters and vorticity type enabled to reveal the regions of regular eddy occurrence and assess their intraseasonal variability. In total, over 3500 eddy patterns were detected with 2970 cyclonic and 621 anticyclonic eddies. The peak of eddy activity in the Barents and White seas is observed in July, in the Kara Sea – in August. Despite a significant intraseasonal variability of eddy diameters, most eddies have diameters less than 6 km. Mean values of eddy diameter range from 2.4 km for the Kara Sea to 4.7 km for the White Sea, with 3.6 km obtained for the Barents Sea. While cyclonic eddies are observed more frequently, anticyclonic eddies are typically larger in size. In the Barents Sea eddies are regularly observed near Svalbard and north to the Kola Peninsula; in the Kara Sea – between Novaya Zemlya and the Yamal Peninsula, and close to Uyedineniya and Sverdrup islands; in the White Sea – in the Dvina Bay, northward to the Solovetsky Islands and along the Tersky coast. In all the seas a significant part of the detected eddies is found near hydrological fronts of various origin.