Remote-sensing observations of coastal sub-mesoscale eddies in the south-eastern Baltic

This paper presents an overview of the sub-mesoscale eddies observed in the coastal zone of the south-eastern Baltic near the shores of the Sambian Peninsula and the Curonian Spit based on CODAR (high-frequency coast-based radar) measurements and analysis of MODIS and ASAR satellite images for the period 30 March 2000–31 December 2011. It was found that when winds are predominantly SW, S or W, a wake eddy of varying size (up to 25 km in diameter) forms off Cape Taran and can cover the area between the shoreline and the 65 m isobath. Its longest lifetime, observed using MODIS images, was 6 days. Another location where coastal sub-mesoscale eddies (up to 10–15 km in diameter) of varying form regularly appear is the coastal slope near the southern and central part of the Curonian Spit.