A satellite and field view of the Irish Shelf front

Abstract Sequences of satellite and field observations of the Irish Shelf front off the west coast of Ireland have been studied. Observations have revealed that the front exists all year round and has a length scale of about 500 km. The satellite measurements indicate that the front is characterized by the presence along its edges of eddies which have a time scale of 1–7 days and a length of 20–40 km. The frontal instabilities and the formation of the eddies are discussed.

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