SOCIB Data system helps scientists to detect an eddy

The pump cruise (http://pump.ulpgc.es) started on August 31, with the objective of sampling an anticyclonic eddy with high spatial resolution. Usually, detection is performed using satellite altimetry images, in which the eddy signal is reflected as sea surface anomaly. However this method does not guarantee that all the eddies are captured at the right location.

Luckily, one of the drifting buoys available in SOCIB database (http://dapp.socib.es), deployed in the frame of LAGAPOCE project was located right on the eddy chosen by the scientific team, thus enabling an immediate and accurate detection of the eddy prior to the cruise. This example illustrates the need of data sharing: data are useful now.