Mesoscale induced vertical fluxes over the Iceland-Faroe Ridge
2025
De Marez, Charly | Ruiz-angulo, Angel | Gula, Jonathan
Mesoscale eddies play a crucial role in ocean dynamics, yet their impact on vertical heat fluxes over topographic features remains poorly understood. This study investigates the Iceland-Faroe Ridge (IFR), a key boundary between the North Atlantic and Nordic Seas, southeast of Iceland. Recent rapid warming in the region has shifted thermal structures, potentially impacting the upper cell of the global thermohaline circulation. Using newly available high-resolution SWOT altimetry and numerical modeling, we directly observe mesoscale turbulence atop the IFR for the first time and quantify its role in driving significant vertical heat fluxes. This turbulence provides a pathway for heat transfer from warming surface waters to the deep Iceland-Scotland Overflow Water, likely contributing to its observed warming over the past four decades. These findings highlight the critical role of mesoscale dynamics in heat redistribution and the need for enhanced monitoring in this climatically sensitive region.
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