605 / 2024-09-18 15:57:12

A mesoscale anticyclonic eddy with submesoscale spiral bands observed from seismic reflection sections in the Aleutian Basin, Bering Sea

Bering sea, Seismic oceanography,Submesoscale spiral bands,oceanic mesoscale eddy

Session 46 - Oceanic Mesoscale and Submesoscale Processes: Characteristics, Dynamics & Parameterizations

Eddies play a significant role in the long-distance transport and redistribution of material and energy in the ocean. A subsurface mesoscale anticyclonic eddy was captured in seismic section s017 acquired during the MG1111 cruise in the Bering Sea in August 2011. The core of this eddy carried cold water, with an overall diameter (including the boundary) of 61.6 km, extending from a depth of 100 m to about 300 m. The core depth was approximately 186 m, with a core thickness of 82.5 m. This anticyclonic eddy was named A1. There was a clear spiral arm structure around the eddy, with the reflectors in the spiral arm showing a regular horizontal spacing of about 4.7 to 5.3 km and a total horizontal width of 12.5 km. Based on the 3D seismic grid, three other seismic sections acquired during the same cruise also captured the A1 eddy. The reflection characteristics of these sections were highly consistent, and a high density and large number of submesoscale eddies were observed in the surrounding area of A1 on the sections. This suggests that the relationship between mesoscale eddy A1 and submeoscale eddies deserves in-depth study.