Geostationary ocean color satellite observations reveal the fine structure of mesoscale eddy dynamics

Abstract

Observations of mesoscale eddy structures rely heavily on satellite altimetry data. However, due to altimetry's coarse spatial resolution, the fine structure of eddy dynamics remains mysterious. Using high spatiotemporal resolution observations from the Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI), we reveal the fine structure and hourly dynamics of the eddy surface flow velocities, as well as the horizontal eddy transport processes. The sea surface flow field retrieved by the dense optical flow algorithm from the GOCI was consistent with the results derived from satellite altimetry data but had a much higher spatial resolution (500 m), which makes it feasible to capture the fine structure of eddy dynamics. Additionally, the hourly observations exposed rapid variations of the eddy kinetic energy and the horizontal advection transport of surface phytoplankton. These fine-scale and frequent GOCI observations increase the understanding of the dynamics and mass transport in mesoscale eddies.