Scale of oceanic eddy killing by wind from global satellite observations

Wind is the primary driver of the oceanic general circulation, yet the length scales at which this energy transfer occurs are unknown. Using satellite data and a recent method to disentangle multiscale processes, we find that wind deposits kinetic energy into the geostrophic ocean flow only at scales larger than 260 km, on a global average. We show that wind removes energy from scales smaller than 260 km at an average rate of −50 GW, a process known as eddy killing. To our knowledge, this is the first objective determination of the global eddy killing scale. We find that eddy killing is taking place at almost all times but with seasonal variability, peaking in winter, and it removes a substantial fraction (up to 90%) of the wind power input in western boundary currents. This process, often overlooked in analyses and models, is a major dissipation pathway for mesoscales, the ocean’s most energetic scales.