Articles | Volume 21, issue 5
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-1933-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-1933-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
OS Letters
| Highlight paper
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04 Sep 2025
OS Letters | Highlight paper |
| 04 Sep 2025
| 04 Sep 2025
Synoptic observation of a full mesoscale eddy lifetime and its secondary instabilities in the Gulf of Mexico
Charly de Marez
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
University of Iceland, Institute of Earth Sciences, Reykjavík, Iceland
Related authors
Angel Ruiz-Angulo, Esther Portela, Charly de Marez, Andreas Macrander, Sólveig Rósa Ólafsdóttir, Thomas Meunier, Steingrímur Jónsson, and M. Dolores Pérez-Hernández
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2102, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2102, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The ocean around Iceland is a key region for water mass transformation that drives global ocean circulation. We use 29 years of hydrographic data to examine the spatial and temporal variability of mixed layer depth and stratification, identifying three distinct regions: South, North, and Northeast. We present a comprehensive view of seasonal to multi-decadal variability in upper ocean structure and its link to a changing North Atlantic under global warming.
Angel Ruiz-Angulo, Esther Portela, Charly de Marez, Andreas Macrander, Sólveig Rósa Ólafsdóttir, Thomas Meunier, Steingrímur Jónsson, and M. Dolores Pérez-Hernández
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2102, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2102, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The ocean around Iceland is a key region for water mass transformation that drives global ocean circulation. We use 29 years of hydrographic data to examine the spatial and temporal variability of mixed layer depth and stratification, identifying three distinct regions: South, North, and Northeast. We present a comprehensive view of seasonal to multi-decadal variability in upper ocean structure and its link to a changing North Atlantic under global warming.
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Co-editor-in-chief
The authors present the first synoptic characterisation of an oceanic mesoscale eddy’s full life cycle using groundbreaking SWOT satellite altimetry. This unprecedented view challenges the long-standing perception of eddies as simple, elliptical structures, revealing the crucial role of mesoscale interactions in their evolution. The SWOT results capture intense submesoscale turbulence at the eddy’s rim, exposing secondary instabilities that likely drive its dissipation. These findings not only validate decades of vortex theory but also open new frontiers in our understanding of oceanic turbulence.
The authors present the first synoptic characterisation of an oceanic mesoscale eddy’s full...
Short summary
Oceanic eddies are giant swirling currents that help transport heat, nutrients, and pollutants across the ocean. However, their life cycle has never been observed in detail. Using new satellite data, we tracked an intense eddy in the Gulf of Mexico, describing its life cycle from birth during a 6-month period. Our observations reveal small-scale turbulence surrounding it and interactions with other structures that shape its evolution, validating decades of numerical studies.
Oceanic eddies are giant swirling currents that help transport heat, nutrients, and pollutants...
