Bio-Argo Floats Reveal Subsurface Structure of Indian Ocean Eddies

Abstract:

There is increasing recognition that eddies modulate open ocean productivity, and that this influence depends on both eddy source and their evolution. Eddies in the southeast Indian Ocean have been recognised, from satellite remote sensing of sea surface height and ocean colour, as important pathways for the westward transport of elevated biomass from the eastern boundary Leeuwin Current into the oligotrophic South Indian Ocean. Further it has been hypothesized that, in some eddies, processes at the base of the mixed layer stimulate productivity and sustain phytoplankton biomass for much longer than would be expected from westward advection alone.

Here we present high-frequency profiles of temperature, salinity, chlorophyll, backscatter and oxygen from autonomous floats in anti-cyclonic and cyclonic eddies in the South Indian Ocean. Satellite sea surface height data confirmed that the floats remained trapped in their respective eddies from winter to early summer, sampling the upper 300 m of the water column 6-8 times per day. The eddies were larger than average for this region, with mean amplitude and radius of 18.1 (19.3) cm and 143 (97) km for the anticyclonic (cyclonic) eddies.

The total concentration of chlorophyll in the mixed layer remained relatively constant, although its vertical distribution changed over time. From September to October, it was evenly distributed throughout the mixed layer of both eddies. With the onset of spring warming, the chlorophyll became concentrated at greater depth with less chlorophyll at the surface. Satellite measurements of surface chlorophyll were 3-5 times lower than the float surface measurement throughout the record, partly because of the vertical structure in chlorophyll. There was no significant change in oxygen saturation state coincident with high phytoplankton concentrations at depth, indicating no net community production. The eddies appear to self-sustain their biomass.