Sovremennye problemy distantsionnogo zondirovaniya Zemli iz kosmosa, 2009. Issue.6. Vol.1. P. 456-464
Eddies in the southern Okhotsk Sea
Е.В. Самко
, Н.В. Булатов
, А.В. Капшитер
Тихоокеанский научно-исследовательский рыбохозяйственный центр (ТИНРО-Центр), 690950, г. Владивосток, переулок Шевченко, 4
The analysis satellite IR images shows, that a plenty of eddies are observed in the southern Okhotsk
Sea. Eddies mostly are anticyclonically oriented and have the spatial size 60-80 miles. Structure and
movements of these eddies is considered for the area southward from 52oN on the results of IR images
and altimetry data analysis compared with shipborne data obtained in 2007. A part of eddies were observed
all the year round or during several months, but others existed no more than 1 month. The stablе
eddies had helical structure with a cold center and were connected with Oyashio or coastal upwelling
zones by cold streamers. These eddies could be revealed in the fields of geostrophic currents drawn using
both shipborne and altimetry data. Vertical distribution of temperature and salinity within the anticyclonic
eddies was distinguished by deeper bedding and lower salinity of the cold subsurface layer,
whereas within the cyclonic eddies this layer was uplifted. On the other hand, the short-living eddies
were poorly revealed from the shipborne data. mainly they were formed between opposite directed currents
due to the velocity shift. Large-scale circulation of the Okhotsk Sea waters is the main reason of the
eddies movement. Most of them had cyclonically-curved tracks.
Keywords: IR image, altimetry data, eddies, Okhotsk Sea
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