Mesoscale Eddies in the Black Sea from Satellite Altimetry Data

The mesoscale eddy dynamics in the Black Sea is investigated using the method of automated eddy identification based on the determination of closed streamlines in the altimetry-derived velocity fields. In total, more than 800 eddies of different signs with a lifetime of more than four weeks and more than 40 kilometers in diameter were identified over the period from 1992 to 2011. Using the obtained array of data, this paper investigates the quantity, life span, geometrical and kinematic characteristic of eddies, characteristic trajectories and velocities of their movement; specifies areas of their primary formation and collapse; and analyzes evolution of different characteristics of the eddies depending on the time of their existence.