Surface-Generated Mesoscale Eddies Transport Deep-Sea Products from Hydrothermal Vents

Type Article
Date 2011-04
Language English
Author(s) Adams Diane K.1, McGillicuddy Dennis J., Jr.1, Zamudio Luis2, Thurnherr Andreas M.3, Liang Xinfeng3, Rouxel OlivierORCID1, 4, German Christopher R.1, Mullineaux Lauren S.1
Affiliation(s) 1 : Woods Hole Oceanog Inst, Woods Hole, MA 02543 USA.
2 : Florida State Univ, Ctr Ocean Atmospher Predict Studies, Tallahassee, FL 32306 USA.
3 : Lamont Doherty Earth Observ, Palisades, NY 10964 USA.
4 : Univ Brest, Univ Europeenne Bretagne, UMR 6538, Inst Francais Rech Exploitat Mer IFREMER,IUEM, F-29280 Plouzane, France.
Source Science (0036-8075) (Amer Assoc Advancement Science), 2011-04 , Vol. 332 , N. 6029 , P. 580-583
DOI 10.1126/science.1201066
WOS© Times Cited 75
Abstract Atmospheric forcing, which is known to have a strong influence on surface ocean dynamics and production, is typically not considered in studies of the deep sea. Our observations and models demonstrate an unexpected influence of surface-generated mesoscale eddies in the transport of hydrothermal vent efflux and of vent larvae away from the northern East Pacific Rise. Transport by these deep-reaching eddies provides a mechanism for spreading the hydrothermal chemical and heat flux into the deep-ocean interior and for dispersing propagules hundreds of kilometers between isolated and ephemeral communities. Because the eddies interacting with the East Pacific Rise are formed seasonally and are sensitive to phenomena such as El Nino, they have the potential to introduce seasonal to interannual atmospheric variations into the deep sea.
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Adams Diane K., McGillicuddy Dennis J., Jr., Zamudio Luis, Thurnherr Andreas M., Liang Xinfeng, Rouxel Olivier, German Christopher R., Mullineaux Lauren S. (2011). Surface-Generated Mesoscale Eddies Transport Deep-Sea Products from Hydrothermal Vents. Science, 332(6029), 580-583. Publisher's official version : https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1201066 , Open Access version : https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00035/14629/