How do ocean eddies affect the weather?

Mesoscale ocean eddies, in a sense, are the weather of the ocean. They do not only influence heat uptake or heat transport in the oceans, but also the distribution of nutrients or the ability to absorb carbon from the atmosphere. This makes them important for global ocean circulation. However, detailed studies of these eddies have been comparatively difficult up today, as they are often very persistent - lasting only a few hours to days. Satellites that are used for Earth observation and record the ocean eddies can therefore only study them very irregularly.

How Earth System Models enhance the knowledge about the Ocean

To better assess the influence of ocean eddies in a warming climate, detailed knowledge is crucial. Earth system models offer a new possibility to scientifically analyze the occurrence and changes of ocean eddies to predict their influence on the future climate. Nevertheless, the challenges for temporary and small-scale events - such as the medium-sized ocean eddies - are enormous, as they require high-resolution simulations with powerful computers. Nevertheless, the models that are now available show that the energy or heat transport of the eddies is increasingly shifting towards the poles and in some cases even intensifying, while these are decreasing around the Gulf Stream - as Europe's heat pump. Thus, the model results indicate that the weather in Europe is also influenced by these changes.