Long-lived Anticyclonic Eddies Facilitate Convection In the Greenland Sea Over Multiple Consecutive Winters

Wintertime open-ocean convection is a key process in renewing deep water; however, the processes that promote convection on local scale remain poorly understood. We investigate the role of long-lived anticyclonic eddies in facilitating deep convection in the Greenland Sea using a new model simulation and observations. We find a previously undocumented anticyclonic eddy in the Boreas Basin, in addition to a well-observed anticyclonic eddy in the Greenland Basin. Both eddies feature year-round lenses of weak stratification with upper-domed isopycnals, facilitating convection over multiple winters.