Cyclones and Anticyclones in Seismic Imaging

Type Article
Date 2015-09
Language English
Author(s) Barbosa Aguiar A. C., Menesguen ClaireORCID, Le Gentil Sylvie, Schopp Richard, Carton Xavier
Affiliation(s) IFREMER, Lab Phys Oceans, Brest, France.
UBO, UEB, Lab Phys Oceans, Brest, France.
Source Journal Of Physical Oceanography (0022-3670) (Amer Meteorological Soc), 2015-09 , Vol. 45 , N. 9 , P. 2436-2443
DOI 10.1175/JPO-D-15-0066.1
WOS© Times Cited 7
Keyword(s) Geographic location/entity, North Atlantic Ocean, Circulation/ Dynamics, Small scale processes, Atm/Ocean Structure/ Phenomena, Eddies, Vortices, Observational techniques and algorithms, Acoustic measurements/effects, Models and modeling, Primitive equations model
Abstract Nearly all the subsurface eddies detected in seismic imaging of sections in the northeast Atlantic have been assumed to be anticyclones containing Mediterranean Water (MW). Fewer MW cyclones have been observed and studied. In this study, the work of previous numerical studies is extended to investigate some characteristics of layering surrounding MW cyclones, using a primitive equation model with equal diffusivities for salinity and temperature to suppress the effects of double diffusion. It is shown that, after a stable state is reached, both anticyclones and cyclones display similar patterns of layering: stacked thin layers of high acoustic reflectivity located above and below the core of each vortex, which do not match isopycnals. The authors conclude that it should not be possible to distinguish between MW cyclones and anticyclones based on their signature in seismic imaging alone. Complementary information is needed to determine the sense of rotation.
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