Abstract
Heat fluxes between the ocean and the atmosphere largely represent the link between the two media. A possible mechanism of interaction is generated by mesoscale ocean eddies. In this work we evaluate if eddies in Southwestern Atlantic (SWA) Ocean may significantly affect flows between the ocean and the atmosphere. Atmospherics conditions associated with eddies were examined using data of sea surface temperature (SST), sensible (SHF) and latent heat flux (LHF) from NCEP–CFSR reanalysis. On average, we found that NCEP–CFSR reanalysis adequately reflects the variability expected from eddies in the SWA, considering the classical eddy-pumping theory: anticyclonic (cyclonic) eddies cause maximum positive (negative) anomalies with maximum mean anomalies of 0.5 °C (−0.5 °C) in SST, 6 W/m2 (−4 W/m2) in SHF and 12 W/m2 (−9 W/m2) in LHF. However, a regional dependence of heat fluxes associated to mesoscale cyclonic eddies was found: in the turbulent Brazil–Malvinas Confluence (BMC) region they are related with positive heat flux anomaly (ocean heat loss), while in the rest of the SWA they behave as expected (ocean heat gain). We argue that eddy-pumping do not cool enough the center of the cyclonic eddies in the BMC region simply because most of them trapped very warm waters when they originate in the subtropics. The article therefore concludes that in the SWA: (1) a robust link exists between the SST anomalies generated by eddies and the local anomalous heat flow between the ocean and the atmosphere; (2) in the BMC region cyclonic eddies are related with positive heat anomalies, contrary to what is expected.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barreiro M, Chang P, Saravanan R (2002) Variability of the South Atlantic convergence zone simulated by an atmospheric general circulation model. J Clim 15(7):745–763
Barros V, Gonzalez M, Liebmann B, Camilloni I (2000) Influence of the South Atlantic convergence zone and SouthAtlantic Sea surface temperature on interannual summerrainfall variability in Southeastern South America. Theor Appl Climatol 67(3–4):123–133
Byrne D, Papritz L, Frenger I, Münnich M, Gruber N (2015) Atmospheric response to mesoscale sea surface temperature anomalies: assessment of mechanisms and coupling strength in a high-resolution coupled model over the South Atlantic*. J Atmos Sci 72(5):1872–1890
Cayan DR (1992) Latent and sensible heat flux anomalies over the northern oceans: driving the sea surface temperature. J Phys Oceanogr 22(8):859–881
Chelton DB (2005) The impact of SST specification on ECMWF surface wind stress fields in the eastern tropical Pacific. J Clim 18:530–550. doi:10.1175/JCLI-3275.1
Chelton DB (2013) Ocean-atmosphere coupling: mesoscale eddy effects. Nat Geosci 6:594–595. doi:10.1038/ngeo1906
Chelton DB, Xie S (2010) Coupled ocean-atmosphere interaction at oceanic mesoscales. Oceanography 23(4):52–69. doi:10.5670/oceanog.2010.05
Chelton DB, Schlax MG, Witter DL, Richman JG (1990) Geosat altimeter observations of the surface circulation of the Southern ocean. J Geophys Res 95(C10):17877–17903
Chelton DB, Schlax MG, Samelson RM, de Szoeke RA (2007) Global observations of large oceanic eddies. Geophys Res Lett 34(15):L15606. doi:10.1029/2007GL030812
Chelton DB, Schlax MG, Samelson RM (2011) Global observations of nonlinear mesoscale eddies. Prog Oceanogr 91(2):167–216
de Souza RB, Mata MM, Garcia CA, Kampel M, Oliveira EN, Lorenzzetti JA (2006) Multi-sensor satellite and in situ measurements of a warm core ocean eddy south of the Brazil–Malvinas Confluence region. Remote Sens Environ 100(1):52–66
Diaz AF, Studzinski CD, Mechoso CR (1998) Relationships between precipitation anomalies in Uruguay and southern Brazil and sea surface temperature in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. J Clim 11(2):251–271
Frenger I, Gruber N, Knutti R, Munnich M (2013) Imprint of Southern Oceaneddies on winds, clouds and rainfall. Nat Geosci. doi:10.38/ngeo1863
Gaube P, Chelton DB, Strutton PG, Behrenfeld MJ (2013) Satellite observations of chlorophyll, phytoplankton biomass, and Ekman pumping in nonlinear mesoscale eddies. J Geophys Res Oceans 118:6349–6370. doi:10.1002/2013JC009027
Gordon AL (1981) South Atlantic thermocline ventilation. Deep Sea Res I Oceanogr Res Pap 28(11):1239–1264
Hausmann U, Czaja A (2012) The observed signature of mesoscale eddies in sea surface temperature and the associated heat transport. Deep Sea Res I Oceanogr Res Pap 70:60–72
Klein P, Lapeyre G (2009) The oceanic vertical pump induced by mesoscale and submesoscale turbulence. Annu Rev Mar Sci 1:351–375
McGillicuddy DJ, Robinson AR (1997) Interaction between the oceanic mesoscale and the surface mixed layer. Dyn Atmos Oceans 27:549–574
Nardelli BB (2013) Vortex waves and vertical motion in a mesoscale cyclonic eddy. J Geophys Res Oceans 118(10):5609–5624
Piola AR, Gordon AL (1989) Intermediate waters in the southwest South Atlantic. Deep Sea Res A 36:1–16
Saha S, Moorthi S, Pan HL, Wu X, Wang J, Nadiga S et al (2010) The NCEP climate forecast system reanalysis. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 91(8):1015
Samelson RM, Skyllingstad ED, Chelton DB, Esbensen SK, O’Neill LW, Thum N (2006) On the coupling of wind stress and sea surface temperature. J Clim 19(8):1557–1566
Saraceno M, Provost C (2012) On eddy polarity distribution in the Southwestern Atlantic. Deep Sea Res I 69(11):62–69
Saraceno M, Provost C, Piola AR, Bava J, Gagliardini A (2004) Brazil Malvinas Frontal System as seen from 9 years of advanced very high resolution radiometer data. J Geophys Res Oceans 109:C05027. doi:10.1029/2003JC002127
Saraceno M, Provost C, Zajaczkovski U (2009) Long-term variation in the anticyclonic ocean circulation over the Zapiola Rise as observed by satellite altimetry: evidence of possible collapses. Deep Sea Res I Oceanogr Res Pap 56(7):1077–1092
Souza JMAC, De Boyer Montegut C, Le Traon PY (2011) Comparison between three implementations of automatic identification algorithms for the quantification and characterization of mesoscale eddies in the South Atlantic Ocean. Ocean Sci 7(3):317–334
Souza JMAC, Chapron B, Autret E (2014) The surface thermal signature and air–sea coupling over the Agulhas rings propagating in the South Atlantic Ocean interior. Ocean Sci 10(4):633–644
Tilburg CE, Subrahmanyam B, O’Brien JJ (2002) Ocean color variability in the Tasman Sea. Geophys Res Lett 29(10):1487. doi:10.1029/2001GL014071
Trenberth KE, Fasullo JT, Kiehl J (2009) Earth’s global energy budget. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 90(3):311
Villas Bôas AB, Sato OT, Chaigneau A, Castelão GP (2015) The signature of mesoscale eddies on the air-sea turbulent heat fluxes in the South Atlantic Ocean. Geophys Res Lett 42(6):1856–1862
Xie S (2004) Satellite observations of cool ocean-atmosphere interaction. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 85:195–208
Yu L, Weller RA (2007) Objectively analyzed air-sea heat fluxes for the global ice-free oceans (1981–2005). Bull Am Meteorol Soc 88(4):2007
Acknowledgements
This work has been supported by the following Grants: FONCyT—PICT-2012-1972, EUMETSAT/CNES DSP/OT/12-2118, ANPCyT PICT 2012-0467, CONICET PIP 112-20110100176, PIO 133-20130100242 and MinCyT/CONAE-001. The authors also thank two anonymous reviewers whose comments greatly helped to improve the manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Leyba, I.M., Saraceno, M. & Solman, S.A. Air-sea heat fluxes associated to mesoscale eddies in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean and their dependence on different regional conditions. Clim Dyn 49, 2491–2501 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-016-3460-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-016-3460-5