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A 3-km resolution regional ocean model is used to investigate the role of wind-driven coastal circulation and mesoscale variability on the inter-annual variability of transport success in the southern Benguela between Cape Point (34°S) and St Helena Bay (32°S) from 1992 to 2011. Lagrangian particles are released within the top 100 m of the water column along an across-shore transect off Cape Point. Transport success is given by the ratio of the number of particles that reach St Helena Bay over the total number of particles released. The analysis of transport success anomalies and their relationship with the local circulation and wind forcing reveal that there is no single driver of the inter-annual variability. The transport success variability of particles released on the shelf (depths < 300 m) mainly depends on their capacity to remain embedded within the coastal Benguela Jet. Nevertheless, peaks in offshore Ekman transport and episodic occurrence of a poleward inner-shelf counter-current contribute to negative anomalies. For particles released on the outer shelf-edge (depths > 500 m), across-shore transports induced by mesoscale eddies are the main contributors to transport success variability. Rare passage of Agulhas rings near the shelf edge can induce strong offshore advection of particles into the open ocean. In contrast, shelf-edge cyclonic eddies favour the onshore transport of particles originating from the outer shelf-edge and thus contribute to increase transport success. Plain Language Summary This study investigates the inter-annual variation of Lagrangian transport in the southern Benguela Current upwelling system using a high-resolution regional ocean model and particle tracking experiments. Transport of fish eggs and larvae by upper ocean currents is crucial for the marine ecosystem in this highly productive region since the spawning and nursery areas used by anchovies are separated by large distances ( ∼400 km). The alongshore connectivity between the Cape Peninsula and St Helena Bay from 1992 to 2011 is analysed and linked to the regional ocean circulation and wind-forcing on an inter-annual time scale. We find that transport success is influenced by several drivers including the Benguela Jet, Ekman transport, the coastal inner-shelf poleward counter-current, and occasional interactions with eddies such as Agulhas rings and shelf-edge cyclonic eddies. These findings provide a valuable information for the future studies on the role of the physical drivers that impact transport of larvae and eggs in the southern Benguela, underlining that no single driver can account solely for extreme positive or negative events in transport success.

Land-sea breeze forcing near a land boundary drives both a locally forced response and an associated offshore propagating internal wave response, the effects of which can be difficult to separate. These processes enhance vertical mixing near the critical latitude for diurnal-inertial resonance (30° N/S), and are a feature of all four major eastern boundary upwelling systems. Here, we employ 1D- and 2D-vertical model configurations forced by a land-sea breeze to quantify the relative contributions of the locally forced and internal wave responses to surface currents and vertical mixing, and test sensitivity to latitude and bottom slope. We further include a sub-inertial alongshore wind to consider the role of the land-sea breeze in the context of upwelling systems. At the critical latitude, the internal waves generated via thermocline pumping near the land boundary are evanescent (in agreement with theory) and largely absent 50 km offshore. The internal waves are shown to contribute to vertical mixing, which can be 20% greater than that due to the forced response alone, further deepening the surface Ekman boundary layer. This deepening reduces the sub-inertial offshore advection of surface waters, thereby retaining the upwelling front closer to the land boundary and driving a net warming of the nearshore surface waters. Cross-shore horizontal oscillations of the upwelling front generated by the land-sea breeze drive strong diurnal variability in sea surface temperature, in agreement with observations from a cross-shore mooring array in the southern Benguela (32.3° S).

International audience; More than twelve satellite scatterometers have operated since 1992 through the present, providing the main source of surface wind vector observations over global oceans. In this study, these scatterometer winds are used in combination with radiometers and synthetic aperture radars (SAR) for the better determination and characterization of high spatial and temporal resolution of regional surface wind parameters, including wind speed and direction, wind stress components, wind stress curl, and divergence. In this paper, a 27-year-long (1992–2018) 6-h satellite wind analysis with a spatial resolution of 0.125° in latitude and longitude is calculated using spatial structure functions derived from high-resolution SAR data. The main objective is to improve regional winds over three major upwelling regions (the Canary, Benguela, and California regions) through the use of accurate and homogenized wind observations and region-specific spatial and temporal wind variation structure functions derived from buoy and SAR data. The long time series of satellite wind analysis over the California upwelling, where a significant number of moorings is available, are used for assessing the accuracy of the analysis. The latter is close to scatterometer wind retrieval accuracy. This assessment shows that the root mean square difference between collocated 6-h satellite wind analysis and buoys is lower than 1.50 and 1.80 m s−1 for offshore and nearshore locations, respectively. The temporal correlation between buoy and satellite analysis winds exceeds 0.90. The analysis accuracy is lower for 1992–1999 when satellite winds were mostly retrieved from ERS-1 and/or ERS-2 scatterometers. To further assess the improvement brought by this new wind analysis, its data and data from three independent products (ERA5, CMEMS, and CCMP) are compared with purely scatterometer winds over the Canary and Benguela regions. Even though the four products are generally similar, the new satellite analysis shows significant improvements, particularly in the upwelling areas.

The Weddell Sea is of global importance in the formation of dense bottom waters associated with sea‐ice formation and ocean‐ice sheet interaction occurring on the shelf areas. In this context, the Weddell Sea boundary current system (BCS) presents a major conduit for transporting relatively warm water to the Weddell Sea ice shelves and for exporting {some modified form of Wedell Sea deep and bottom waters into the open ocean. This study investigates the downstream evolution of the structure and the seasonality of the BCS along the Weddell Sea continental slope, combining ocean data collected for the past two decades at three study locations. The interannual‐mean geostrophic flow, which follows planetary potential vorticity contours, shifts from being surface‐intensified to bottom intensified along‐stream. The shift occurs due to the densification of water masses and the decreasing surface stress that occurs westward, towards the Antarctic Peninsula. A coherent along‐slope seasonal acceleration of the barotropic flow exists, with maximum speed in austral autumn and minimum speed in austral summer. The barotropic flow significantly contributes to the seasonal variability in bottom velocity along the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. Our analysis suggests that the winds on the eastern/north‐eastern side of the gyre determines the seasonal acceleration of the barotropic flow. In turn, they might control the {export} of Weddell Sea Bottom Water on seasonal time‐scales. The processes controlling the baroclinic seasonality of the flow need further investigation. Plain Language Summary In the Weddell Sea, large amounts of seawater are cooled to become dense and sink, carrying signals of human induced changes such as atmospheric carbon into the abyss of the ocean. Understanding the variability of the ocean currents at the Antarctic continental margin is critical because it controls both the export of the dense water formed in these areas and the access of warm water that may melt the Antarctic Ice Sheet. This study investigates the structure and the seasonality of the flow at the continental margin in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean, using in situ observations upstream and downstream of the dense water formation regions. Following the bathymetry, ocean currents flow from East to West along the continental shelf edge. As water densifies along this path, the flow speed changes from being maximum at the ocean surface to be maximum at the bottom. The depth‐averaged current varies with a synchronized seasonality along the continental shelf break, reaching a maximum in austral autumn. Our analysis suggests that the winds on the eastern/north‐eastern margin drives the seasonality of the depth‐averaged flow along the shelf break, significantly contributing to changes in bottom velocity near the export region.

The land‐sea breeze is resonant with the inertial response of the ocean at the critical latitude of 30°N/S. 1D‐vertical numerical experiments were undertaken to study the key drivers of enhanced diapycnal mixing in coastal upwelling systems driven by diurnal‐inertial resonance near the critical latitude. The effect of the land boundary was implicitly included in the model through the `Craig approximation' for first order cross‐shore surface elevation gradient response. The model indicates that for shallow water depths (

Place: Oxford Publisher: Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd WOS:000556810400013; This work is part of the MADRidge Project special issue which aims to describe pelagic ecosystems in the vicinity of three prominent shallow seamounts in the South West Indian Ocean: one here named MAD-Ridge (240 m below the surface) plus Walters Shoal (18 m) on the Madagascar Ridge, and La Perouse (60 m) on the abyssal plain east of Madagascar. The three span latitudes 20 degrees S and 33 degrees S, some 1500 km. The study provides the background oceanography for the once-off, multidisciplinary snapshot cruise studies around the seamounts. As life on seamounts is determined by factors such as summit depth, proximity to the light layers of the ocean, and the ambient circulation, a first description of regional spatial-field climatologies (16-22 years) and monthly along-ridge gradients of surface wind (driving force), water column properties of sea surface temperature, mixed layer depth, chlorophyll-a and eddy kinetic energy, plus ocean currents is provided. Being relevant to many applications in the study domain, these properties in particular reveal contrasting environments along the Madagascar Ridge and between the three seamounts that should drive biological differences. Relative to the other two seamounts, MAD-Ridge is in the more extreme situation, being at the end of the East Madagascar Current, where it experiences sturdy, albeit variable, currents and the frequent passing of mesoscale eddies.

International audience; An investigation of the vertical and horizontal distributions of micronekton, as influenced by mesoscale eddies, the Madagascar shelf and shallow seamounts, was undertaken using acoustic data collected during two research cruises at an unnamed pinnacle (summit depth ~240 m) thereafter named “MAD-Ridge”, and at La Pérouse seamount (~60 m) in the south-western Indian Ocean. MAD-Ridge is located to the south of Madagascar, in an “eddy corridor”, known both for its high mesoscale activity and high primary productivity. In contrast, La Pérouse is located on the outskirts of the Indian South Subtropical Gyre (ISSG) province, characterised by low mesoscale activity and low primary productivity. During the MAD-Ridge cruise, a dipole was located in the vicinity of the seamount, with the anticyclone being almost stationary on the pinnacle. Total micronekton acoustic densities were greater at MAD-Ridge than at La Pérouse. Micronekton acoustic densities of the total water column were lower within the anticyclone than within the cyclone during MAD-Ridge. Micronekton followed the usual diel vertical migration (DVM) pattern, except within the cyclone during MAD-Ridge where greater acoustic densities were recorded in the daytime surface layer. The backscatter intensities were stronger at the 38 kHz than at the 70 and 120 kHz frequencies in the daytime surface layer at MAD-Ridge cyclonic stations. These backscatter intensities likely correspond to gas-filled swimbladders of epi- and mesopelagic fish actively swimming and feeding within the cyclone or gelatinous organisms with gas inclusions. Our findings evidenced that the distributions of micronekton and DVM patterns are complex and are influenced significantly by physical processes within mesoscale eddies. The mesoscale eddies’ effects were dominant over any potential seamount effects at the highly dynamic environment prevailing at MAD-Ridge during the cruise. No significant increase in total micronekton acoustic densities was observed over either seamount, but dense aggregations of biological scatterers were observed on their summits during both day and night.

The effect of ocean currents on fish eggs and larvae during their journey from spawning to nursery grounds in the Southern Benguela upwelling system is poorly understood. The survival and successful transport of fish eggs and larvae results from complex biological and physical processes. This study focuses on the advective processes, more specifically on how the dynamics and characteristics of the ocean currents shape the Lagrangian pathways in the Southern Benguela. A mesoscale eddy resolving interannual (1989-2010) simulation of the region, with a horizontal resolution of 7.5 km, is used to study processes impacting the connectivity between the western edge of the Agulhas Bank and the west coast upwelling region. A set of Lagrangian experiments are conducted with particles being released within the top 100 m of the water column along an across-shore transect off Cape Point (34 degrees S). Transport success is given by the ratio of the number of particles that reach St Helena Bay (32 degrees S) over the total number of particles released. The model results show a strong seasonal cycle in transport success which is governed by the complex three-dimensional structure of the along-shore jets, their variability, together with the wind-induced Ekman drift. Transport success is most efficient in spring when the Benguela Jet consists of one coherent intensified single-core branch that flows over the 300 m isobath, and when wind-induced Ekman transport favours the retention of particles within the jet. At this time of the year, the pathway leading to successful transport is located inshore, with 90% of particles released inshore the 300 m isobath being successfully transported to St Helena Bay in < 15 days. This pathway is also characterized by low eddy kinetic energy values. During the upwelling season (December March), transport success becomes less efficient, and less sensitive to the initial across-shore position of the particles. The inshore route no longer dominates, as the majority of particles follow offshore pathways. The Benguela Jet shifts offshore and splits into several branches due to the shoaling of the poleward undercurrent. The entrainment of particles within the offshore branch of the jet is favored by the dominating offshore wind-induced Ekman transport. Particles trapped in the offshore branch get exposed to higher mesoscale variability. Their northward progression is slower, which leads to journeys generally exceeding 20 days. This study shows that successful transport from the Agulhas Bank to the west coast upwelling region cannot be attributed to only a simple wind induced modulation of the jet. It explores how the seasonal modulation of the Benguela Jet, poleward undercurrent and offshore Ekman transport combine together with the turbulent off shelf eddy field to set-up the characteristics of transport success.

This study re-investigates the work of Lutjeharms et al. [2001,2003] who documented the properties of a Natal Pulse using isopycnal Lagrangian floats. We combined Lagrangian analyses and Eulerian maps derived from objective analysis to better describe the evolution of a Natal Pulse along three density surfaces referred to as the surface (satellite-observed), shallow (isopycnal-1026.8 kg.m−3) and deep (isopycnal-1027.2 kg.m−3) layer. Our observations show that this Natal Pulse extended to a depth of 1000m and was associated with cyclonic relative vorticity values of about 6.5 to 8.5x10−5.s−1 in the surface and shallow layer and 4x10−5.s−1 in the deep layer. This Natal Pulse contributed to cross-shelf exchange through the offshore advection of Eastern Agulhas Bank water near the surface, onshore advection of South Indian Central Water and/or Indian Equatorial Water in the shallow layer and Antarctic Intermediate Water in the deep layer. Sea Surface Temperature maps showed that the downstream progression of the Natal Pulse along the 3000m isobath was related to a readjustment of its rotation axis. This readjustment advected Eastern Agulhas Bank water into the Natal Pulse eddy and triggered a SST cooling of about 3°C in the cyclonic area. The importance of a warm recirculating Agulhas plume originating from the Natal Pulse was highlighted. This warm water plume extended to a depth of 700m and was associated with onshore velocities exceeding those experienced within the Natal Pulse eddy by a factor of two. Our observations indicate that the June/July 1998 Natal Pulse and its associated plumes enhanced cross-shelf exchanges. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Surface winds (equivalent neutral wind velocities at 10 m) from scatterometer missions since 1992 have been used to build up a 20-year climate series. Optimal interpolation and kriging methods have been applied to continuously provide surface wind speed and direction estimates over the global ocean on a regular grid in space and time. The use of other data sources such as radiometer data (SSM/I) and atmospheric wind reanalyses (ERA-Interim) has allowed building a blended product available at 1/4° spatial resolution and every 6 h from 1992 to 2012. Sampling issues throughout the different missions (ERS-1, ERS-2, QuikSCAT, and ASCAT) and their possible impact on the homogeneity of the gridded product are discussed. In addition, we assess carefully the quality of the blended product in the absence of scatterometer data (1992 to 1999). Data selection experiments show that the description of the surface wind is significantly improved by including the scatterometer winds. The blended winds compare well with buoy winds (1992–2012) and they resolve finer spatial scales than atmospheric reanalyses, which make them suitable for studying air-sea interactions at mesoscale. The seasonal cycle and interannual variability of the product compare well with other long-term wind analyses. The product is used to calculate 20-year trends in wind speed, as well as in zonal and meridional wind components. These trends show an important asymmetry between the southern and northern hemispheres, which may be an important issue for climate studies.

International audience; A unique feature of the subtropical South Indian Ocean is the existence of anticyclonic eddies that have higher chlorophyll concentrations than cyclonic eddies. Off Western Australia, this anomalous behavior is related to the seeding of anticyclonic eddies with shelf water enriched in phytoplankton biomass and nutrients. Further off-shore, two mechanisms have been suggested to explain the eddy/chlorophyll relationship: (i) eddies originating from the Australian coast maintain their chlorophyll anomaly while propagating westward; and (ii) eddy-induced Ekman upwelling (downwelling) enhances (dampens) nutrient supply in anticyclonic (cyclonic) eddies. Here we describe the relationship between eddies and surface chlorophyll within the South Indian Ocean, and discuss possible mechanisms to explain the anomalous behavior in light of new analyses performed using satellite chlorophyll data. We show that anticyclonic eddies exhibit higher surface chlorophyll concentration than cyclonic eddies across the entire South Indian Ocean basin (from 20 to 28°S), particularly in winter. Using Self Organizing Maps we analyze the chlorophyll patterns within anticyclonic eddies and cyclonic eddies and highlight their complexity. Our analysis suggests that multiple mechanisms may underlie the observed eddy/chlorophyll relationship. Based on Argo float data, we postulate the relationship may be partly related to seasonal adjustment of the mixed layer depth within eddies. Deeper mixing in anticyclonic eddies is expected to enhance nutrient supply to the mixed layer, while shallower mixing in cyclonic eddies is expected to reduce it. This could explain why the observed winter surface chlorophyll bloom is stronger in anticyclonic eddies than in cyclonic eddies.

When a source-sink dipole forces a fluid on a beta-plane limited by a western boundary, the linear steady solution can be obtained analytically and consists of zonally elongated gyres that extend west of the forcing and close as western boundary currents. The nondimensional parameter Ro(upsilon) = U/(4 beta a(2)) (with U the zonal velocity of the flow and 2a the distance between the source and sink) is used to characterize the nonlinearity of the flow. When Ro(upsilon) reaches 0.1, the numerical shallow-water solution shows that the configuration with the source to the north of the sink becomes unstable, while the reverse configuration remains steady. Indeed, that reverse configuration remains steady for much larger values of the nonlinearity parameter Ro(upsilon), and begins to share some of the characteristics of a pure inertial circulation. The asymmetry of the stability properties of the two configurations, also found in the laboratory experiments of Colin de Verdiere [Quasigeostrophic flows and turbulence in a rotating homogeneous fluid, 1977], is rationalized herein through the stability properties of the zonal central jet that flows between the source and sink. We consider, in turn, (i) the Kuo's [J. Meteor. 1949, 6, 105-122] zero potential vorticity gradient necessary criteria (valid for an infinite zonal jet), (ii) enstrophy budgets and (iii) linear stability analysis of the mean flow. All three methods point out to the enhanced instability of the westward jet. We show that the transition regime has the characteristics of a super critical Hopf bifurcation.

This study deals with the separation of western boundary currents within a reduced-gravity framework, and it analyzes the formation of eddies in the separation region and the conditions of their shedding into the open ocean. It shows that the separation point of the current oscillates along the coast so that the retroflected eastward current develops meanders. These meanders grow, drift westward under the influence of β, and finally hit the coastal current, which leads to the periodic formation of eddies. This study also highlights the impact by the geometrical configurations of the flow and coastline upon the existence or lack of a subsequent shedding of these eddies: a shedding occurs when no obstacle hinders the β-induced westward drift of the eddies. This happens when either (i) the current retroflects far enough beyond the tip of the coast so that, because of β, the eddies can propagate westward without being blocked, or (ii) the tilt of the coast is small enough so that the alongshore component of the β-induced velocity is enhanced and the eddies can escape from the retroflection region.

The Ushant tidal front is the dominant feature of the summer season hydrological structure of the Iroise Sea. It separates tidally mixed coastal waters from thermally stratified open Celtic Sea waters. This article reports on observations made in September 2007 during two short cruises that took place aboard R/V "Cotes de la Manche", and gives a general account of the physical structure of the front along one cross-frontal transect. The data set comprises data from a 4 month ADCP mooring, short CTD/fluorescence/nutrients transects, Lagrangian drifter trajectories, and HF radar surface current measurements. One finding is that the surface and bottom fronts, being affected by different dynamical influences, are not necessarily coincident in the vertical. This entails that the opposite density gradients located above and below the thermocline depth do not necessarily compensate, and can each be associated with a significant surface geostrophic expression. A second finding is that mixing effects bear a very strong influence on the thermal structure of the warm-water intrusions associated with frontal cyclonic eddies of the kind described by Pingree [1978. Cyclonic eddies and cross-frontal mixing. journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 58 (4), 955-963]. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

International audience; The possibility for a preexisting surface-intensified anticyclone to subduct beneath a surface front is investigated using an isopycnal numerical model. Subduction occurs for strong coherent vortices and is usually accompanied by strong dissipation. Two main mechanisms cause the erosion of the vortex core. The first one is induced by the velocity shear associated with the front. It results in the peeling of the vortex potential vorticity (PV) core, sometimes leading to its complete disappearance. The second mechanism occurs after the vortex has subducted. Entrainment of high positive PV fluid parcels from the front above the vortex low negative PV core modifies the stability properties of the latter. Meanders are observed to grow at the rim of the structure, which favors the formation of PV filaments. The erosion rates caused by each mechanism are discussed in relation to the jet and vortex characteristics, and to the background stratification. The trapping of high PV fluid parcels above the vortex is also shown to be partly responsible for the decrease and eventual loss of the eddy altimetric signal, after it has subducted.

Numerical experiments are carried out on the f plane, using a shallow-water isopycnal model, to analyze the behavior of a surface-intensified anticyclonic vortex when it encounters an isolated seamount. The advection by the vortex of deep fluid parcels across the isobaths is known to generate deep anticyclonic and cyclonic circulations above and near the bathymetry, respectively. These circulations are shown to exert a strong shear on the upper layers, which causes an erosion of the initial vortex by filamentation. The erosion often results in a subdivision of the eddy. While the eroded original structure forms a dipole with the deep cyclone and is advected away, the filaments torn off from the original core aggregate into a new eddy above the seamount. Splitting in more than two structures is sometimes observed. The erosion process is quantified by the bulk volume integral of the eddy potential vorticity anomaly. A sensitivity study to different parameters of the configuration (distance between vortex and seamount, vortex radius, seamount radius, seamount height, or stratification) shows that the intensities of the deep anticyclonic and cyclonic circulations and the vortex erosion are governed both by the reservoir of positive potential vorticity associated with the seamount and by the strength of the cross-isobath flow induced by the eddy.

International audience; Hourly Sea Surface Temperature (SST) fields derived from the Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infra-Red Imager (SEVIRI) onboard Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) are frequently used in studies of the diurnal cycle of the ocean. In this article, we focus on high frequency SST variability induced by tidal currents in the Iroise Sea, west of Brittany (France). This region is known for its strong tidal currents that are responsible in summer for the generation of an intense thermal front, the Ushant front. We use hourly MSG/SEVIRI derived SST to compute the displacements of this front. In the northern part of the front, at 48.75°N, we show that the longitudinal displacements of the front on subdiurnal time scales can be explained by the Lagrangian advection induced by surface currents.We also present maps of surface currents computed from hourly SEVIRI derived SST data using the Maximum Cross Correlation (MCC) method. Comparison of SEVIRI derived velocities with velocities obtained with high frequency (HF) radar measurements and a hindcast numerical simulation (Mercator Ocean) gives encouraging results in the northern part of the Ushant front, near the Ushant Island. Within that region, the mean bias of the SEVIRI velocities was below 0.12 m·s− 1, with the standard deviation ranging from 0.26 m·s− 1 during moderate tides to 0.49 m·s− 1 during spring tides. Further offshore, where the surface thermal structures are weaker and the SST more homogeneous, currents derived using the MCC method were overestimated by 0.3 m·s− 1 and showed larger error standard deviations.

International audience; The transformation of baroclinic eddies encountering a tall seamount is explored using a three-layer primitive equation model on the β-plane. The topography is finite in that the seamount penetrates the isopycnal layer in which the eddy resides, but does not span the entire fluid depth. In our numerical simulations, the eddies are represented by potential vorticity anomalies in the upper and middle layers, and propagating towards the seamount due to the beta-effect. Circulations created near the topography, both by fluid removed from the seamount and by external fluid stranded over the seamount, play a key role in the drift, deformation, and erosion of the approaching eddies. When the radius of the seamount is small, the deviation of the eddy trajectory is well described by a simple kinematic model that does not take into account deformations of the vortex cores. For wider seamounts, such interactions may result in horizontal and/or vertical splitting of the vortex core, i.e., in increased occurrences of eddy destruction. In particular, an interesting mechanism is found, related to enhancement of topographic circulation by potential vorticity entrained from the vortex core in the middle layer, and resulting in strong deformations and splitting of the upper layer core. Numerical estimates of the transformed eddy structure indicate that topographic interactions provide powerful mechanisms for significantly influencing baroclinic eddy evolution. Our results are summarized in a specific nondimensional parameter space according to the eddy evolution.

This paper investigates the behavior of a surface-intensified anticyclone encountering a seamount on the β plane in a stratified ocean. The eddy may be strongly eroded, and sometimes subdivided, provided that it gets close enough to the seamount. In case of subdivision, the detached part has a vertical structure different from that of the initial eddy, and a subsurface vortex may result. The basic erosion mechanism previously observed with f-plane experiments is still active on the β plane. Deep fluid motions induced by the initial vortex across the isobaths generate topographic vortices whose upper parts exert a shear/strain on the initial eddy, causing its filamentation. On the β plane, this process is further complicated by the presence of additional eddies created by fluid motion across the planetary vorticity gradient. Experiments without any topography show that these eddies by themselves can erode the initial vortex. In particular, a deep positive potential vorticity pole influences the near-bottom signature of the original vortex with a strong temporal variability. This reflects on the manner in which the surface eddy feels an underlying seamount. Sensitivity experiments show that the eddy erosion rate after encountering a seamount can no longer be related to basic parameters such as the minimum eddy–seamount distance, as it was on the f plane. The additional vorticity poles influencing the eddy on the β plane make the result of the eddy–seamount encounter very sensitive to small variations of the initial conditions, and impossible to predict.

This study analyses the physical mechanisms that impact Lagrangian pathways and transport in the southern Benguela upwelling system (SBUS), an environment in which currents are key components of many important ecological processes, including the dispersal of marine larvae. Physical advection by currents is an important mechanism for egg and larvae transport success in the SBUS since the spawning areas and recruitment areas are separated by a long distance. Numerical model simulations of the SBUS coupled with particle tracking experiments are used to investigate Lagrangian pathways between the Cape Peninsula (34°S) and St Helena Bay (32°S) and how they are linked to the oceanic circulation. Transport success, given by the ratio of the number of particles that reach St Helena Bay over the total number of particles released, is used quantify the alongshore connectivity between the two regions. We have identified and quantified the following physical drivers: (i) Benguela Jet, (ii) offshore Ekman transport, (iii) inner shelf poleward current, (iv) mesoscale eddies to be responsible for the spatial and temporal variability of the alongshore connectivity. The Benguela Jet was found to be the dominant driver of the connectivity at both seasonal and interannual timescales. Moreover, the presence of anti-cyclonic eddies near the shelf-edge negatively impact transport success by advecting particles into the open ocean. The opposite occurs with shelf-edge eddies as they transport particles onshore onto the shelf and the Benguela Jet. These findings will provide a valuable information for the future studies on the role of the physical drivers that impact transport of larvae and eggs., Cette étude a pour cadre le système d'upwelling côtier du Benguela sud (SUBS) dans lequel l'advection par les courants marins influe sur de nombreux processus biologiques. Le rôle de ces courants est exacerbé par la séparation géographique existant entre les zones de ponte et de nurserie de plusieurs populations de poissons marins. Des simulations numériques basées sur un modèle hydrodynamique du SUBS sont exploitées à l'aide d'outils lagrangiens pour identifier les trajectoires suivies par des particules entre la péninsule du Cap (34°S) et la baie de Sainte-Hélène (32°S) et pour explorer les liens entre ces trajectoires et la circulation océanique. Le rapport entre le nombre de particules atteignant la baie de Sainte-Hélène et le nombre total de particules relâchées est utilisé pour quantifier la connectivité entre les deux régions. Plusieurs processus physiques importants sont identifiés : (i) le Benguela jet, (ii) le transport d'Ekman vers le large, (iii) le courant s'écoulant vers le sud dans la bordure littorale et (iv) les tourbillons à mésoéchelle. Le Benguela jet est le mécanisme dominant la connectivité aux échelles de temps saisonnières et interannuelles. Le rôle contrasté des tourbillons océaniques suivant leur localisation et leurs caractéristiques a également été documenté. L'identification de ces processus physiques et la quantification de leurs impacts sur la connectivité entre les zones de ponte et de nurserie dans le SUBS sont des résultats qui vont indéniablement contribuer dans de futurs travaux à cerner le rôle des processus d'advection sur la survie larvaire et sur la dynamique des populations marines dans cet écosystème.