Dynamics of Batumi Anticyclone from the Satellite Measurements

A.A. Kubryakov✉, S.V. Stanichny

Marine Hydrophysical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Sevastopol, Russian Federation

✉ e-mail: arskubr@ya.ru

Abstract

Eddy dynamics in the south-eastern part of the Black Sea is studied on the basis of satellite altimetry data and optical and infrared satellite imagery. Mesoscale variability using the recently developed methods of eddy automatic identification from a known altimetry-derived velocity fieldis investigated. The anticyclonic eddies in the basin intensifies in summer, and weakens in winter. Average radius of the long-lived anticyclones vary from 40-45 km in winter to ~60 km in summer-autumn season. In winter cyclonic eddies develop, particularly, a strong mesoscale cyclonic eddy is generated in the Batumi anticyclone area. It originates presumably from intense local cyclonic wind vorticity arising in this zone in winter. It is shown that, in most cases, Batumi anticyclone is not stationary. Having been formed in the coastal southeastern part of the Black Sea, it moves to the northwest at a speed 1 – 5 cm/s reaching sometimes the basin northeastern part. Over 20-years period 8 anticyclones with lifetime exceeding 10 months were observed in two cases it exceeds one year. The Batumi anticyclone strongly impacts on the biooptical characteristics in the basin. During his lifetime it can capture the turbid coastal waters in his core for several times, which increase its reflectancecompare to surrounding waters. On the other hand, downwelling motions in the eddy can lead to the lowering of the reflectance(for example, during the coccolithophorids blooming).

Keywords

eddy dynamics, synoptic eddies, satellite data, the Black Sea

For citation

Kubryakov, A.A. and Stanichny, S.V., 2015. Dynamics of Batumi Anticyclone from the Satellite Measurements. Physical Oceanography, (2), pp. 59-68. doi:10.22449/1573-160X-2015-2-59-68

DOI

10.22449/1573-160X-2015-2-59-68

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