HR: 14:00h
AN: OS23F-01    [Abstracts]
TI: A subsurface warm-eddy off Northern Baja California in July 2004
AU: * Jeronimo, G
EM: gjeronim@cicese.mx
AU: Gomez-Valdes, J
EM: jgomez@cicese.mx
AF: Centro de Investigacion Cientifica y de Educacion Superior de Ensenada, Km 107 Carretera Tijuana-Ensenada, Ensenada, BC 22860, Mexico
AB: Upper-ocean eddies are commonly observed from remote sensing, but submerged eddies are more difficult to detect. During July 2004, a 21-day hydrographic survey in the southern region of the California Current was carried out to investigate the mesoscale variability. We observed for the first time a subsurface anticyclonic eddy off northern Baja California with the same water mass characteristics as the California Undercurrent. The core of the eddy was quasi-circular with radii of 35 km and thickness of 250 m. The maximum swirl velocity was ~ 3 cm/s. The water mass of the core of the eddy was characterized by potential temperature of 11ºC, salinity of 34.5, and dissolved oxygen of 1.4 ml/l. The eddy propagated westward. The subsurface warm-eddy could transport relatively saline water into the North Pacific subtropical gyre.
DE: 4508 Coriolis effects
DE: 4516 Eastern boundary currents
DE: 4520 Eddies and mesoscale processes
DE: 4522 ENSO (4922)
DE: 4536 Hydrography and tracers
SC: Ocean Sciences [OS]
MN: 2007 Joint Assembly