Satellite observations of the meso- and submesoscale eddies in the Baltic and Black Seas Svetlana Karimova M.Sc. in oceanography – Lomonosov Moscow State University Ph.D. student – Space Research Institute of RAS (IKI) Department of the Earth investigations from space Space Radar Laboratory
Research topics Mesoscale and submesoscale eddies of the Black and Baltic Seas as seen by satellite radiometer and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data: Ways of eddies visualization in satellite images Generic types Spatial and temporal parameters Areas of distribution Seasonal and interannual dynamics Influence on vertical water structure and bioproductivity 2 INTRODUCTION
Motivations Mesoscale eddies: – horizontal water transport – upwelling/downwelling – contamination dilute and water self-cleaning – seawaters bioproductivity Submesoscale eddies: – reasons and mechanisms of generation – lifetime – depth – contribution to water transport and mixing 3 INTRODUCTION
Areas of interest 4 INTRODUCTION Baltic Sea Black Sea Baltic Sea Black Sea
Satellite radiometer data MODIS Aqua, spatial resolution 1 km, time coverage , total number of images 1100 Water-leaving radiance 551 nm (WLR) Chlorophyll-а concentration (Chl-a) Sea surface temperature (SST) AVHRR NOAA/MetOp-2, SST, spatial resolution 1 км, time coverage , total number of images MESOSCALE EDDIES: GENERAL INFORMATION
Image examples ( ) 6 MESOSCALE EDDIES MODIS WLR MODIS SST AVHRR SST MODIS Chl-a
The Black Sea mesoscale eddies The Rim Current meanders and rings Quasistationary anticyclonic eddies Near-shore anticyclonic eddies (NAEs) Mushroom-like currents (eddy dipoles) Eddies of the Anatolian Coast Shear eddy chains 7 MESOSCALE EDDIES: GENERAL INFORMATION
Mushroom-like currents 8
2008 interannual variability Mushroom-like currents: 9
WinterSpring SummerAutumn 10 Seasonal variability
Mushroom-like currents’ scale Mushroom cap width (km) NumberNumber 11 MESOSCALE EDDIES: GENERAL INFORMATION
Eddy-induced chl-a transport 12 MESOSCALE EDDIES: INFLUENCE ON WATER STRUCTURE MODIS WLR
Eddy-induced chl-a production AVHRR SST MODIS Chl-a MESOSCALE EDDIES: INFLUENCE ON WATER STRUCTURE
Mushroom-like current Cruise MODIS Aqua Chl-a MESOSCALE EDDIES: INFLUENCE ON WATER STRUCTURE SeaWiFS Chl-a
Density section MESOSCALE EDDIES: INFLUENCE ON WATER STRUCTURE
Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images Envisat ASAR and ERS-2 SAR. Spatial resolution 12.5 or 75 m depending on image mode Black Sea: Since : 390 images (Russian part of the sea) 2009: 315 images Total: 875 images Baltic Sea: 2009: 336 images 16 SUBMESOSCALE EDDIES
Spiral lines of natural films (“black eddies”). The Baltic Sea Envisat ASAR WSM, , 09:09 GMT 17 SUBMESOSCALE EDDIES
Spiral lines of natural films (“black eddies”). The Baltic Sea ERS-2 SAR IMM, , 09:47 GMT ©ESA
Wave/current interaction (“white” eddies) Envisat ASAR: a) :58 GMT b) :37 GMT c) :37 GMT 19 SUBMESOSCALE EDDIES
Eddies visualized by ice tracers. The Kattegat Strait Envisat ASAR WSM , 09:36 GMT ©ESA
Number of the eddies discovered in SAR images of the Black Sea Generally: 845 eddies in 875 images (1 eddy per image) 845 eddies in 186 images (4,5 eddies per image) In 2009: 553 eddies in 311 images (1,8 eddies per image) 553 eddies in 100 images (5,5 eddies per image) “Black” and “white” “Black”“White” NumberNumber Relation of the “black” and “white” eddies detected in SAR images 21 SUBMESOSCALE EDDIES
The Black Sea eddy size “Black” eddies size Diameter (km) NumberNumber NumberNumber “White” eddies size Diameter (km) BalticBlack “Black” “White” Size comparing 22
“Black” eddies in the Baltic Sea LEGEND: Winter Spring Summer Autumn 23
“Black” eddies in the Black Sea Legend: Winter Spring Summer Autumn 24 SUBMESOSCALE EDDIES DISTRIBUTION
(а) Envisat ASAR ; (b) ASAR&MERIS; (c) Envisat MERIS (а) Envisat ASAR ; (b) ASAR&MERIS; (c) Envisat MERIS SAR AND RADIOMETER DATA COMPARISON
(a) Envisat ASAR ; (b) Landsat ETM (bands 3, 2, 1) 26 SAR AND RADIOMETER DATA COMPARISON
Frontal eddies Envisat ASAR :07 GMT WLRChl-aSST 27 SAR AND RADIOMETER DATA COMPARISON
Space Research Institute, Moscow 28 EDDIES IN THE BALTIC AND BLACK SEAS