Results of analysis of spatial and temporal long-term stability of quasistationary areas in the Atlantic Ocean based on multi-satellite measurements (CZCS and SeaWiFS data) Original Research Article

The paper analyzes the stability of areas in the Global Ocean, which are quasistationary with respect to the seasonal dynamics of chlorophyll concentration. Such areas were first discovered based on the CZCS data. They occur almost in all regions of the Global Ocean. They reflect typical seasonal dynamics of phytoplankton, which depends on both large ocean currents and local hydrological instability. It is related to the displacement of frontal zones and to local hydrological anomalies. Since the completion of the CZCS work there has been a 10 years gap in monitoring chlorophyll spatial distribution dynamics in the ocean. The reason is the long absence of equipment on the orbit, which would be suitable for the measurement of chlorophyll concentration. Recently, SeaWiFS data have been accumulated and their quantity is sufficient for the crude statistical analysis of image time series for 25 years. Thus, it has become possible to obtain data on the long-term stability of quasistationary areas and, therefore, on the stability of large-scale hydrological phenomena in the Atlantic Ocean.