Lagrangian Methods for Observation of Intrathermocline Eddies
in Ocean

B. N. Filyushkin^a, M. A. Sokolovskiy^b, N. G. Kozhelupova^a, and I. M. Vagina^c

^a Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

e-mail: borfil@ioran.ru; nk@ioran.ru

^b Water Problems Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

e-mail: sokol@aqua.laser.ru

^c Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia

e-mail: iravag@rambler.ru

Received April 8, 2014

Abstract—Intrathermocline anticyclonic eddies (lenses) of Mediterranean origin are regularly observed in the
Eastern part of the Atlantic Ocean. These eddies are identified both from satellites as altimetry and sea-surface
temperature (SST) changes and according to data of neutral buoyancy floats (NBF) placed in the body of a lens.
In this paper, in the framework of a three-layer quasi-geostrophic model, using the contour dynamics method,
we consider some theoretical aspects of lens movement observations made by acoustic NBF and freely drifting
buoys of the Argo project. Direct experimental observation data on the lenses' drift in the North Atlantic qualita-
tively confirmed the results of our numerical experiments. In particular, it is shown that the spin of the lens has
an advective influence on the behavior of NBF at distances of several lens radii.

DOI: 10.1134/S0001437014050051

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