@article{fdi:010060689,
  title = {{A} small-scale oceanic eddy off the coast of {W}est {A}frica studied by multi-sensor satellite and surface drifter data},
  author = {{A}lpers, {W}. and {B}randt, {P}. and {L}azar, {A}lban and {D}agorne, {D}ominique and {S}ow, {B}. and {F}aye, {S}. and {H}ansen, {M}. {W}. and {R}ubino, {A}. and {P}oulain, {P}. {M}. and {B}rehmer, {P}atrice},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{A} small-scale oceanic eddy, which was generated in autumn 2011 at the headland of {C}ap-{V}ert off the coast of {S}enegal, {W}est {A}frica, and then propagated westward into the open {N}orth {A}tlantic {O}cean, is studied by multi-sensor satellite and surface drifter data. {T}he eddy was generated after a sudden increase of the trade winds causing an enhanced southward flow and upwelling at the coast of {S}enegal. {A}fter this wind burst event, an extremely nonlinear cyclonic eddy with a radius of about 10 to 20 km evolved downstream of {C}ap-{V}ert with {R}ossby number larger than one. {O}ur analysis suggests that the eddy was generated by flow separation at the headland of {C}ap-{V}ert. {T}he eddy was tracked on its way into the open {N}orth {A}tlantic {O}cean from satellites over 31 days via its sea surface temperature and chlorophyll-a ({CHL}) signature and by a satellite-tracked surface drifter. {T}he satellite images show that this small-scale eddy transported nutrients from the upwelling region westward into the oligotrophic {N}orth {A}tlantic thus giving rise to enhanced {CHL} concentration there. {M}aximum {CHL} concentration was encountered few days after vortex generation, which is consistent with a delayed plankton growth following nutrient supply into the euphotic zone within the eddy. {F}urthermore, the eddy was imaged by the synthetic aperture radar ({SAR}) onboard the {E}nvisat satellite. {I}t is shown that the radar signatures of cold eddies result from damping of short surface waves by biogenic surface films which arise from surface-active material secreted by the biota in the cold eddy as well as by the change of the stability of the air-sea interface.},
  keywords = {{S}mall-scale eddy ; {T}rade winds ; {C}oastal upwelling ; {SST} ; {C}hlorophyll-a ; {MODIS} ; {SAR} ; {S}urface drifter ; {W}est {A}frica ; {C}ap-{V}ert ; {AFRIQUE} {DE} {L}'{OUEST} ; {CAP} {VERT}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{R}emote {S}ensing of {E}nvironment},
  volume = {129},
  numero = {},
  pages = {132--143},
  ISSN = {0034-4257},
  year = {2013},
  DOI = {10.1016/j.rse.2012.10.032},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010060689},
}