Abstract

In an October 11 Eos article, Schubert [1994] used satellite infrared images of sea surface temperature to show an unusual interaction between cold-core rings and the Gulf Stream between March 8 and May 14. Warm Gulf Stream water pulled out by a ring was shown being transported into the Sargasso Sea instead of circulating in the ring as usually happens in such cases. A cold-core ring forms when a Gulf Stream meander bulges southeastward into a loop, then pinches off, enclosing colder shelf water inside. Coldcore rings can last for months. They usually drift toward the southwest until they are reabsorbed into the stream.