An oceanic eddy with submesoscale spiral bands

What is it about?

Large eddies in the ocean share some features with tropical cyclones, including the presence of spiral arms extending outwards from a clear core. For tropical cyclones, these arms are easily seen in satellite images as rain bands. In the ocean, spiral eddies can sometimes be seen in satellite maps of ocean surface temperature and sea ice distribution. This study sought to identify the subsurface features of these spiral arms of oceanic eddies.

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Photo by Reid Zura on Unsplash

Photo by Reid Zura on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Subsurface features of spiral eddies are difficult to identify by traditional oceanography observations. We employ specialized processing methods (seismic reflection method) to reveal this eddy and estimate its role in transport of material. These data will improve our understanding of the vertical structure of ocean eddies and the horizontal and vertical transports of matter, and the transport of ocean heat that affects sea ice melting in the Arctic Ocean.