Mesoscale eddy variability in the Caribbean Sea

López-Álzate, Margarita E.; Sayol, Juan Manuel; Hernández‐Carrasco, Ismael; Osorio, Andrés F.; Mason, Evan; Orfila, Alejandro

doi:10.1007/s10236-022-01525-9

Cited by 4 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Recently, based on 27 years of satellite altimetry data, López‐Álzate et al. (2022) identified that the average lifetime for all the eddies in the Caribbean Sea is 62 ± 37 days (mean ± standard deviation) and most of them (∼90%) have a lifetime shorter than 160 days. Therefore, a period shorter than 160 days appears to be an appropriate choice for the cut‐off period of the mesoscale window.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The mean circulation in the Caribbean Sea is characterized by currents from the Lesser Antilles to the Yucatan Channel and into the GoM (Gordon, 1967; Johns et al., 2002) and is a major pathway for transporting mass, heat, salt, and other tracers in the Atlantic Circulation System. Mesoscale eddies are also ubiquitous in the Caribbean Sea (Centurioni & Niiler, 2003; Jouanno et al., 2012; López‐Álzate et al., 2022; Pratt & Maul, 2000; van der Boog et al., 2019a, 2019b). These eddies advect cold filaments, modulate heat balance in the interior of the Caribbean Sea, and affect the temperature variability through the upwelling in the Cariaco Basin (Astor et al., 2003; Jouanno & Sheinbaum, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2 of 10 central Caribbean Sea (Colombia Basin), Jouanno et al (2012) show that mean kinetic energy (MKE) and eddy kinetic energy (EKE) are related and exhibit a close relationship with wind stress. Moreover, a recent study using Self-Organizing Maps reveals interannual EKE variabilities in the Caribbean Sea, but no further investigation of the underlying mechanisms has been conducted (López-Álzate et al, 2022).…”

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confidence: 99%

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ENSO Modulates Mean Currents and Mesoscale Eddies in the Caribbean Sea

Huang

Liang

Yang

et al. 2023

Geophysical Research Letters

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Although El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and its global impacts through teleconnection have been known for decades, if and how the mean currents and mesoscale eddies in the Caribbean Sea are linked to ENSO remains an open question. Here, by analyzing satellite observations and an ocean reanalysis product, we found a close connection between mean currents, eddies in the Caribbean Sea and ENSO on interannual timescales. Strong El Niño events result in enhanced north‐south sea surface height differences and consequently stronger mean currents in the Caribbean Sea, and the opposite happens during La Niña events. The eddy kinetic energy responds to ENSO via eddy‐mean flow interaction, primarily through baroclinic instability, which releases the available potential energy stored in the mean currents to mesoscale eddies. Our results suggest some predictability of the mean currents and eddies in the Caribbean Sea, particularly during strong El Niño and La Niña events.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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ENSO Modulates Mean Currents and Mesoscale Eddies in the Caribbean Sea

Huang

Liang

Yang

et al. 2023

Geophysical Research Letters

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“…SOMs are a statistical tool used to compress the information contained in a large amount of data into one single set of maps (Kohonen, 1982), reducing the high-dimensional feature space of input data to a lower-dimensional network of units called neurons. SOM analysis has been used in the oceanography context in several studies (Liu et al, 2006;Hernández-Carrasco and Orfila, 2018;López et al, 2022). Learning processes are carried out by an interactive presentation of the input data to a preselected neuronal network, which is modified during the iterative process.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal and El Niño–Southern Oscillation-related ocean variability in the Panama Bight

Parra¹,

Giraldo²,

Muñoz³

et al. 2023

Ocean Sci.

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Abstract. In the Panama Bight, two different seasonal surface circulation patterns coincide with a strong mean sea level variation, as observed from 27 years of absolute dynamic topography (ADT) and the use of self-organizing maps. From January to April, a cyclonic gyre with a strong southwestward Panama Jet Surface Current (PJSC) dominates the basin circulation, forced by the Panama surface wind jet that also produces upwelling, reducing sea surface temperature (SST), increasing sea surface salinity (SSS) and causing an ADT decrease. From June to December, the Choco surface wind jet enhances SST, precipitation and river runoff, which reduces SSS, causing an ADT rise, which in turn forces a weak circulation in the bight, vanishing the PJSC. Interannual variability in the region is strongly affected by El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO); however this climatic variability does not modify the seasonal circulation patterns in the Panama Bight. In contrast, the positive (negative) ENSO phase increases (decreases) SST and ADT in the Panama Bight, with a mean annual difference of 0.9 ∘C and 9.6 cm, respectively, between the two conditions, while its effect on SSS is small. However, as the strong seasonal SST, SSS and ADT ranges are up to 2.2 ∘C, 2.59 g kg−1 and 28.3 cm, the seasonal signal dominates over interannual variations in the bight.

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“…The Caribbean Sea, located between 9°N -21°N and 88°W-60°W , is a semi enclosed basin bordered by the Lesser Antilles at the east, the Greater Antilles at the north, the eastern portion of Central America at the west and the northern coasts of South America at the south (Figure 1). The wave dynamic in the basin is mainly controlled by the westward surface trade winds, which show a large seasonality, and a low-level wind core with higher speeds that gives origin to the Caribbean Low Level Jet (CLLJ) with a kernel located at the center of the basin (Poveda et al, 2006;Orfila et al, 2021;Loṕez-A ́lzate et al, 2022). Wind seasonality is associated with the meridional migration of the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), which is also responsible for the path and penetration of transient features as cold fronts and tropical storms.…”

Section: Study Site: the Caribbean Basinmentioning

confidence: 99%

Extreme waves in the Caribbean Sea: spatial regionalization and long-term analysis

Morales-Márquez,

Cáceres-Euse,

Hernández-Carrasco

et al. 2023

Front. Mar. Sci.

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The extreme wave height distribution in the Caribbean Sea is studied using a new method based on the maximum basin-wide aggregate of significant wave height, Hs, values per month. Besides, by means of the Self-Organizing Maps (SOM) technique, we identify coherent geographical regions with similar extreme wave height variability in the Caribbean Sea. Our findings revealed three primary regions: the eastern side with comparatively lower values, the central region with intermediate values, and the western side with the highest extreme wave heights. The study also examines the wind forcing conditions driving the spatial and temporal variability of the extreme waves, highlighting the influence of the low-pressure belt dynamics as well as the role played by the Caribbean Low-Level Jet (CLLJ) index, and the impact of cold fronts and hurricanes on extreme wave heights. Additionally, we explore the relationship between the extreme wave height distribution and climatic indices, such as the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), the Atlantic Meridional Mode (AMM), the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the Oceanic Niño (ONI). The results reveal that the spatial distribution of extreme wave heights in the Caribbean Sea is mostly ruled by the influence of the CLLJ, with correlations close to 80%. In addition, significant correlations were observed between the extreme wave heights and the ENSO in the central Caribbean, as well as positive correlations between the extreme wave heights and NAO in the eastern part of the basin, and significant values of correlation with the negative phases of AMO and AMM in the whole basin. We show that, unlike conventional (or broadly used) methods deployed to identify extreme wave height, such as percentile 99th, Hs99, our methodology allows a further assessment of the wind and climate forcing conditions associated with the extreme wave events. Although, we acknowledge that the method here presented has limitations to capture extreme wave height outliers, it has the advantage of being used concomitant with the wind forcing to develop multivariate wave climate analysis at basin scale, and could be extended to a more local scale when studying coastal processes.

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Mesoscale eddy variability in the Caribbean Sea

Cited by 4 publications

References 40 publications

ENSO Modulates Mean Currents and Mesoscale Eddies in the Caribbean Sea

ENSO Modulates Mean Currents and Mesoscale Eddies in the Caribbean Sea

Seasonal and El Niño–Southern Oscillation-related ocean variability in the Panama Bight

Extreme waves in the Caribbean Sea: spatial regionalization and long-term analysis

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