Submesoscale processes in the surface layer of the central Baltic Sea : A high-resolution modelling study

A high-resolution model with a horizontal resolution of 250 m was used to analyze the surface eddy fields and the distribution of kinetic energy in the Baltic Sea. The results indicate a close relationship between the wind speed and the kinetic energy at the surface and the vertically averaged kinetic energy in the sea, and a lagged correlation between the kinetic energy at the surface and the eddy field. The spatial patterns of kinetic energy indicate more energetic currents in the western and southern parts of the Baltic Sea. The distribution of vorticity is inhomogeneous and differs significantly between sea areas. Submesoscale features are also inhomogeneously distributed and occur more frequently in the Gdańsk Basin, the Gulf of Finland, and the western part of the northern Baltic proper.