Widespread mesoscale dipoles in the global ocean
Mesoscale eddies are ubiquitous and energetic features in the ocean. Although eddies are known to form dipoles from time to time, it is unclear how often they do so. Using satellite altimetry data, here we show that mesoscale dipoles are surprisingly widespread in the global ocean. About 30–40% of t...
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ftnerc:oai:nora.nerc.ac.uk:529144 2023-05-15T18:25:20+02:00 Widespread mesoscale dipoles in the global ocean Ni, Qinbiao Zhai, Xiaoming Wang, Guihua Hughes, Chris W. 2020-10-16 text http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/529144/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/529144/1/2020JC016479.pdf https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JC016479 en eng https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/529144/1/2020JC016479.pdf Ni, Qinbiao; Zhai, Xiaoming; Wang, Guihua; Hughes, Chris W. orcid:0000-0002-9355-0233 . 2020 Widespread mesoscale dipoles in the global ocean. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 125 (10), e2020JC016479. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JC016479 <https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JC016479> cc_by_4 CC-BY Publication - Article PeerReviewed 2020 ftnerc https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JC016479 2023-02-04T19:51:26Z Mesoscale eddies are ubiquitous and energetic features in the ocean. Although eddies are known to form dipoles from time to time, it is unclear how often they do so. Using satellite altimetry data, here we show that mesoscale dipoles are surprisingly widespread in the global ocean. About 30–40% of the mesoscale eddies identified in altimeter data are paired up as dipoles, and the percentage is even higher in energetic regions such as the Gulf Stream and the Southern Ocean. Composite analysis involving Argo float data further reveals that these mesoscale dipoles have a relatively uniform three‐dimensional structure. We find that the presence of mesoscale dipoles can strongly enhance wind Ekman pumping velocity and lead to deep‐reaching vertical motions inside the dipoles via eddy deformation and frontogenesis. Such strong vertical exchanges promoted by mesoscale dipoles may play an important role in regulating the Earth's biogeochemical processes. Article in Journal/Newspaper Southern Ocean Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive Southern Ocean Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 125 10 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive |
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ftnerc |
language |
English |
description |
Mesoscale eddies are ubiquitous and energetic features in the ocean. Although eddies are known to form dipoles from time to time, it is unclear how often they do so. Using satellite altimetry data, here we show that mesoscale dipoles are surprisingly widespread in the global ocean. About 30–40% of the mesoscale eddies identified in altimeter data are paired up as dipoles, and the percentage is even higher in energetic regions such as the Gulf Stream and the Southern Ocean. Composite analysis involving Argo float data further reveals that these mesoscale dipoles have a relatively uniform three‐dimensional structure. We find that the presence of mesoscale dipoles can strongly enhance wind Ekman pumping velocity and lead to deep‐reaching vertical motions inside the dipoles via eddy deformation and frontogenesis. Such strong vertical exchanges promoted by mesoscale dipoles may play an important role in regulating the Earth's biogeochemical processes. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Ni, Qinbiao Zhai, Xiaoming Wang, Guihua Hughes, Chris W. |
spellingShingle |
Ni, Qinbiao Zhai, Xiaoming Wang, Guihua Hughes, Chris W. Widespread mesoscale dipoles in the global ocean |
author_facet |
Ni, Qinbiao Zhai, Xiaoming Wang, Guihua Hughes, Chris W. |
author_sort |
Ni, Qinbiao |
title |
Widespread mesoscale dipoles in the global ocean |
title_short |
Widespread mesoscale dipoles in the global ocean |
title_full |
Widespread mesoscale dipoles in the global ocean |
title_fullStr |
Widespread mesoscale dipoles in the global ocean |
title_full_unstemmed |
Widespread mesoscale dipoles in the global ocean |
title_sort |
widespread mesoscale dipoles in the global ocean |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/529144/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/529144/1/2020JC016479.pdf https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JC016479 |
geographic |
Southern Ocean |
geographic_facet |
Southern Ocean |
genre |
Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Southern Ocean |
op_relation |
https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/529144/1/2020JC016479.pdf Ni, Qinbiao; Zhai, Xiaoming; Wang, Guihua; Hughes, Chris W. orcid:0000-0002-9355-0233 . 2020 Widespread mesoscale dipoles in the global ocean. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 125 (10), e2020JC016479. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JC016479 <https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JC016479> |
op_rights |
cc_by_4 |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JC016479 |
container_title |
Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans |
container_volume |
125 |
container_issue |
10 |
_version_ |
1766206699448827904 |