System of mesoscale eddies over the steep slope in the northwestern part of the Black Sea in summer 1993 (satellite and ship-borne data)

Analysis of NOAA-11 satellite images (April-August 1993) and CTD-measurements during the R/V "Akvanavt" cruise (16-17 June 1993) has shown that over the continental slope west of Sevastopol two anticyclonic eddies can exist at the same time without coalescence within the layer 0-300 m: quasi-stationary and of shorter life time (1.5 months) ones with diameters of 90 and 55 km, respectively. Collapse of a less intensive anticyclone occurs when it is pushed on the shelf by the quasi-stationary eddy. When the eddies approach each other a cycloni eddy is formed north of them that results in jet-like flows between the eddies of opposite signs both within the layer 0-150 m and at a greater depth (the core of flow is at a depth of 150 m), which contribute to the shelf-deep basin horizontal exchange.