High coastal eddy activity around Antarctica revealed by SWOT
Abstract
Antarctic marginal seas are crucial for the global climate, but direct observations, especially of mesoscale ocean eddies, remain scarce. Here, by analyzing the unprecedented high-resolution sea surface height data provided by the recently launched Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite, we reveal a widespread presence of mesoscale eddies across the Antarctic continental shelf. The geographic distributions of the observed eddies, along with eddy-resolving model simulations, support the hypothesis that ice shelf basal melting and dense shelf water formation are key processes driving the prevalent eddy activity. Our findings highlight the potential of innovative satellite measurements for monitoring critical Antarctic oceanic processes, and the need to resolve the abundant Antarctic ocean eddies in climate models.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Oceanographic and Atmospheric Processes
Cryospheric studies and observations
Arctic and Antarctic ice dynamics
Publication details
- Journal / source
- National Science Review
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- nwag181–nwag181
- Publication date
- 20 March 2026
- Language
- EN