Sea-surface temperature (SST), altimetry derived sea-level anomalies (SLA) and surface current are used south of the Agulhas Current to identify warm core mesoscale ocean eddies presenting a distinct SST perturbation superior to 1(supo)C to the surrounding ocean. The analysis of 960 twice daily instantaneous charts of equivalent stability neutral wind speed estimates from the SeaWinds scatterometer onboard the QuikScat satellite collocated with SST during the lifespan of six warm eddies show stronger wind speed above those warm eddies than surrounding water for half of the cases. For cases where the wind is stronger above warm eddies, there is no relationship between the increase in surface wind speed and the SST perturbation. Mean wind increase is about 15 % at 1.8 m.s(sup-1). Wind speed increase of 4 to 7 m.s(sup-1) above warm eddies is not uncommon. Average eddy radius is 100 km and SST perturbations range from 1(supo)C to 6(supo)C.
Reference:
Roualt, M. and Backeberg, B. 2016. Wind changes above warm Agulhas Current eddies. Proceedings of the 32nd Annual Conference of the South African Society for Atmospheric Science, 31 October - 1 November 2016, Cape Town, South Africa
Roualt, M., & Backeberg, B. (2016). Wind changes above warm Agulhas Current eddies. South African Society for Atmospheric Sciences. http://hdl.handle.net/10204/9131
Roualt, M, and Björn Backeberg. "Wind changes above warm Agulhas Current eddies." (2016): http://hdl.handle.net/10204/9131
Roualt M, Backeberg B, Wind changes above warm Agulhas Current eddies; South African Society for Atmospheric Sciences; 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10204/9131 .