HR: 16:50h
AN: OS34A-03 INVITED     [Abstracts]
TI: Progress and Pitfalls in Satellite Surveillance of Loop Current Frontal Eddy Cyclones
AU: * Walker, N D
EM: nwalker@lsu.edu
AF: Dept. of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, Louisiana State Universtiy, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, United States
AU: Leben, R R
EM: leben@colorado.edu
AF: Colorado Center for Astrodynamics Research, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, United States
AU: Anderson, S P
EM: steve@horizonmarine.com
AF: Horizon Marine Inc., 15 Creek Road, Marion, MA 02738, United States
AU: Balasubramanian, S
EM: sbalas1@lsu.edu
AF: Earth Scan Laboratory, Coastal Studies Institute, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, United States
AB: In the last decade, significant advances in active and passive remote sensing have transpired that are enabling researchers to better quantify and model time and space scales of ocean processes. This paper presents recent attempts to track the motion and development of rapidly propagating cyclonic mesoscale eddies along the outer margin of the Loop Current in the Gulf of Mexico. Recent research has shown the critical role that these features play in the intensification of surface currents and as trigger mechanisms for deep flows in oil and gas producing areas in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The rapid motion of these cyclonic frontal features (35 km/day) has made their study problematic. In this paper, we discuss the use of several remote sensing systems and the integration of data from these systems to better understand the behavior and impacts of the frontal eddy cyclones on Gulf circulation processes. Mid-infrared (3.5-3.9 micron) measurements from GOES GVAR, available in real-time every 15 minutes over the Gulf, provide an excellent source of "de-clouded" night-time surface temperature information, from which sea surface temperatures (SST) are estimated with daily updates (http:www.esl.lsu.edu). Measurements in this atmospheric window maximize the sampling frequency of ocean information in cloudy and humid ocean regions such as the Gulf of Mexico. On the other hand, satellite altimetry measurements provide the only remote sensing technique that directly measures a dynamical variable of ocean state - the sea surface height (SSH). Detection of mesoscale eddies has been improved by combining multi-mission measurements from TOPEX-Poseidon, ERS- 2, GFO, Jason-1 and Envisat into a gridded product, updated daily (http:argo.colorado.edu/~realtime/welcome). Ocean color sensors (SeaWiFS, MODIS, Oceansat-1 OCM) provide surface pigment information (chlorophyll a, CDOM) that can aid in the discrimination of Gulf features as cold core eddies contain more chlorophyll a, due to the upwelling of nutrients. In our attempt to characterize the behavior of these dynamic mesoscale features and their impacts on circulation, we present several case studies which showcase our progress as well as potential problems associated with these sensors. We present new results on air-sea interaction and hurricane intensity changes over Gulf eddies as well as the impacts of eddies on surface and sub-surface current accelerations in deep water.
UR: http:www.esl.lsu.edu/research/
DE: 4223 Descriptive and regional oceanography
DE: 4275 Remote sensing and electromagnetic processes (0689, 2487, 3285, 4455, 6934)
DE: 4504 Air/sea interactions (0312, 3339)
DE: 4520 Eddies and mesoscale processes
DE: 4572 Upper ocean and mixed layer processes
SC: Ocean Sciences [OS]
MN: 2007 Joint Assembly