Abstract Subsurface-intensified anticyclones are ubiquitous in the ocean, yet their impact on the large-scale transport of heat, salt and chemical tracers is poorly understood. These submesoscale coherent vortices (SCVs) can trap and advect waters thousands of kilometers away from the formation region, providing a transport pathway that is unresolved by low-resolution Earth System Models. However, knowledge of the importance of these eddies for the large scale circulation is hindered by the lack of systematic observations. Here, we take advantage of the global network of Argo floats to identify occurrences of these eddies, which appear as weakly stratified anomalous water masses with Gaussian-shaped vertical structures. We develop a general algorithm to detect subsurface eddies that have propagated away from their source region, and apply it to the database of Argo float profiles, resulting in roughly 4000 detections from more than 20 years of observations. We further group detections into regional populations to identify hot-spots of generation and mechanisms of formation. Analysis of regional SCV statistics reveals important sites of SCV generation in Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems, marginal sea overflows, and mode water formation regions along major open-ocean fronts. Because of the heat and salt anomaly contained within their cores, SCV could leave a significant imprint on the hydrographic properties of water masses in regions of high SCV density.

中文翻译：

---

海洋亚中尺度相干涡旋的全球观测

摘要 地下增强反气旋在海洋中无处不在，但它们对热、盐和化学示踪剂的大规模传输的影响知之甚少。这些次尺度相干涡旋 (SCV) 可以捕获和平流距地层区域数千公里的水域，提供低分辨率地球系统模型无法解析的传输路径。然而，由于缺乏系统观测，这些涡流对大规模环流的重要性的认识受到阻碍。在这里，我们利用 Argo 浮标的全球网络来识别这些涡流的出现，这些涡流表现为具有高斯形垂直结构的弱分层异常水团。我们开发了一种通用算法来检测从其源区域传播的地下涡流，并将其应用到 Argo 浮标数据库中，从 20 多年的观测中产生了大约 4000 次检测结果。我们进一步将检测分组到区域种群中，以确定产生热点和形成机制。对区域 SCV 统计数据的分析揭示了东部边界上升流系统、边缘海溢流和主要公海前沿模式水形成区域中 SCV 产生的重要地点。由于其核心中包含的热量和盐异常，SCV 可以在高 SCV 密度区域的水团的水文特性上留下显着的印记。我们进一步将检测分组到区域种群中，以确定产生热点和形成机制。对区域 SCV 统计数据的分析揭示了东部边界上升流系统、边缘海溢流和主要公海前沿模式水形成区域中 SCV 产生的重要地点。由于其核心中包含的热量和盐异常，SCV 可以在高 SCV 密度区域的水团的水文特性上留下显着的印记。我们进一步将检测分组到区域种群中，以确定产生热点和形成机制。对区域 SCV 统计数据的分析揭示了东部边界上升流系统、边缘海溢流和主要公海前沿模式水形成区域中 SCV 产生的重要地点。由于其核心中包含的热量和盐异常，SCV 可以在高 SCV 密度区域的水团的水文特性上留下显着的印记。