Energy of the Jets of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and of Their Eddies in the Surface Layer of the Southern Ocean

Abstract

The kinetic energy of six jets of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) and of the cyclonic and anticyclonic mesoscale eddies generated by these jets is studied in application to the surface layer of Antarctic Circle. The study is based on satellite altimetry data for 1993–2015 available at http://aviso.altimetry.fr. Main results of the study are (a) a fivefold excess of the mean energy of jets proper over the mean total (cyclones plus anticyclones) energy of eddies; (b) the prevalence of the energy of the core jet of the Subantarctic Current over the energy of the rest of the ACC jets in the entire Antarctic Circle; (c) a twofold excess of the mean energy of cyclonic eddies over the energy of anticyclones in the upper ocean layer.