Researchers from the University of Liverpool have spotted the equivalent of smoke-rings in the ocean which they think could 'suck-up' small marine creatures and carry them at high speed and for long distances across the ocean.

The ocean is full of eddies, swirling motions some tens to hundreds of kilometres across, which mix the water and carry it across the average currents.

The 'smoke-rings' are a pair of linked eddies spinning in opposite directions that travel up to ten times the speed of 'normal' eddies and were spotted in the Tasman Sea, off the southwest of Australia and in the South Atlantic, west of South Africa. The rings in the ocean are cut in half by the sea surface, so we see the two ends of the half ring at the surface.

Described in a research paper published in the journal `Geophysical Research Letters', the `smoke rings' were discovered by analysing sea level measurements taken from satellites together with sea surface temperature images from the same time and place.

Lead author of the study and an expert in sea level science, Professor Chris Hughes, said: "What we found was a pair of eddies spinning in opposite directions and linked to each other so that they travel together all the way across the Tasman Sea, taking six months to do it.

"Ocean eddies almost always head to the west, but by pairing up they can move to the east and travel ten times as fast as a normal eddy, so they carry water in unusual directions across the ocean.

The smoke rings require an area of calm water to 'puff' out through, which itself is quite unusual. I've looked at other areas of other oceans but I've only seen them in the oceans around Australia, plus one in the South Atlantic. My thinking is that these linked, fast moving eddies could 'suck-up' small marine creatures and carry them at high speed and for long distances across the ocean."

Research paper

Tweet

First global maps of traits that drive vegetation growth
Minneapolis MN (SPX) Dec 08, 2017
Detailed global maps of key traits in higher plants have been made available for the first time, thanks to work led by researchers from the University of Minnesota's (UMN) College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS). Based on measurements of 45,000 individual plants from 3,680 species, and using high-tech statistical mapping protocols, the team created global maps of ... read more

Related Links
University of Liverpool
Earth Observation News - Suppiliers, Technology and Application

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only