Quantifying the Contribution of Ocean Mesoscale Eddies to Low Oxygen Extreme Events

TY - JOUR

T1 - Quantifying the Contribution of Ocean Mesoscale Eddies to Low Oxygen Extreme Events

AU - Atkins, Jamie

AU - Andrews, Oliver

AU - Frenger, Ivy

N1 - Funding Information: The authors thank Mercator Ocean and the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service for making FREEGLORYS2V4 and FREEBIORYS2V4 model data available, as well as the satellite observational product (previously AVISO). We also thank Eric Oliver for making eddy tracking code available. I.F. acknowledges funding by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, project Humboldt Tipping (FKZ 01LC1823B). Funding Information: The authors thank Mercator Ocean and the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service for making FREEGLORYS2V4 and FREEBIORYS2V4 model data available, as well as the satellite observational product (previously AVISO). We also thank Eric Oliver for making eddy tracking code available. I.F. acknowledges funding by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, project Humboldt Tipping (FKZ 01LC1823B). Publisher Copyright: © 2022. The Authors.

PY - 2022/8/5

Y1 - 2022/8/5

N2 - Ocean mesoscale eddies have been identified as drivers of localized extremely low dissolved oxygen concentration ([O2]) conditions in the subsurface. We employ a global physical-biogeochemical ocean model at eddy-permitting resolution to conduct a census of open-ocean eddies near Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems adjacent to tropical Oxygen Minimum Zones (OMZs). We track cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies with a surface signature over the period 1992–2018 and isolate their subsurface oxygen characteristics. We identify strongly deoxygenating eddies and quantify their contribution to low [O2] extreme events. Our results show that model simulated low [O2] extreme event frequency is 2–7 times higher in eddies versus non-eddying locations, with regionally more than half of low [O2] extreme events outside of the permanent OMZs being associated with eddies. Our study highlights the need for further work to investigate the drivers, characteristics and potential ecosystem impacts of low [O2] extreme events.

AB - Ocean mesoscale eddies have been identified as drivers of localized extremely low dissolved oxygen concentration ([O2]) conditions in the subsurface. We employ a global physical-biogeochemical ocean model at eddy-permitting resolution to conduct a census of open-ocean eddies near Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems adjacent to tropical Oxygen Minimum Zones (OMZs). We track cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies with a surface signature over the period 1992–2018 and isolate their subsurface oxygen characteristics. We identify strongly deoxygenating eddies and quantify their contribution to low [O2] extreme events. Our results show that model simulated low [O2] extreme event frequency is 2–7 times higher in eddies versus non-eddying locations, with regionally more than half of low [O2] extreme events outside of the permanent OMZs being associated with eddies. Our study highlights the need for further work to investigate the drivers, characteristics and potential ecosystem impacts of low [O2] extreme events.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85135819204&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1029/2022GL098672

DO - 10.1029/2022GL098672

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85135819204

SN - 0094-8276

VL - 49

JO - Geophysical Research Letters

JF - Geophysical Research Letters

IS - 15

M1 - e2022GL098672

ER -