# Imprint of Mesoscale Eddies on Air-Sea Interaction in the Tropical Atlantic Ocean
## 5 Conclusions  
Combining 8 years of daily altimetry ADT, SST, LHF, SHF, ocean IRF and PR data, this study aimed to investigate the influence of mesoscale eddies on air-sea heat exchange in the TAO, and the relationship between heat flux and PR anomalies over eddies. Results indicated that in the TAO, about 40% of the CEs are warm-core CEs and 40% of AEs are cold-core AEs. Eddy-induced SST anomalies ranged between \(\pm\)0.4 \({}^{\circ}\)C, contributing to 10-25% of the total SST variability in the TAO, with higher anomalies observed in coastal regions, especially EBUS. Heat flux anomalies over eddies showed patterns similar to SST anomalies, with maximum positive and negative values of \(\pm\)10 W m\({}^{-2}\) for LHF, \(\pm\)4 W m\({}^{-2}\) for SHF, and \(\pm\)2 W m\({}^{-2}\) for IRF. The eddy-associated anomalies accounted for 10-35% of the LHF and SHF variability. On average, LHF and SHF anomalies over eddies varied quasi-linearly with eddy-induced SST anomalies, with coupling strength coefficients of \(\sim\)25 and \(\sim\)8 W m\({}^{-2}\)\({}^{\circ}\)C\({}^{-1}\), respectively. Composite anomalies were constructed and decomposed into axisymmetric and non-axisymmetric components. Only the axisymmetric part of eddy-induced SST anomalies were found to significantly influence the net LHF, SHF and IRF over eddies. The PR anomalies over eddies are significant only beneath the ITCZ, with values up to \(\sim\)\(\pm\)2 mm day\({}^{-1}\). The correlation between heat flux et PR anomalies are relatively weak but significant, probably because of the differences of spatial and temporal scale of atmospheric and oceanic mesoscale processes. Investigations of the impact of such difference and the atmospheric responses in wind speed and cloud formation could be set up from a high resolution numerical coupled ocean-atmosphere model, and will deserve future studies. Moreover, PR, as a freshwater flux, is known to be the main driver of large-scale salinity changes in the equatorial Atlantic beneath the ITCZ [54]. However, the role of mesoscale eddies in salinity variability in the near-equatorial region, beneath the ITCZ is not well understood. Investigating the influence of mesoscale eddies in this context would deepen our understanding of the mesoscale physical processes influence in salinity changes in the equatorial Atlantic. Conceptualization, H.M.A.A., A.C., I.D., Y.M. and E.B. ; Formal analysis, H.M.A. ; Funding acquisition, I.D. ; Investigation, H.M.A.A., A.C., I.D., Y.M. and E.B. ; Methodology, H.M.A.A., A.C., I.D., Y.M. and C.Y.D.-A. ; Project administration, I.D. ; Resources, C.Y.D.-A. ; Supervision, A.C., E.B. and C.Y.D.-A. ; Validation, A.C.; Writing--original draft, H.M.A.A. ; Writing--review & editing, H.M.A.A., A.C., I.D. and Y.M. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. This work was supported by the Alti-ETAO and the SWOT-GG projects founded by the French National Center for Space Studies (CNES) through the Ocean Surface Topography Science Team (OSTST) and supported by the French National Institute of Sciences of the Universe (INSU/CNRS). This work is also a contribution to the junior team \"SAFUME\" (JEAI-SAFUME) associated with the French National Research Institute for Development (IRD) and to the EU H2020 TRIATLAS project under grant agreement 817578. [PERSON] was supported by a PhD fellowship from the IRD and the Cultural Action and Cooperation Service (SCAC) of the French Embassy in Benin during his PhD thesis and by the University of Toulouse (UT3) and the CNES during his postdoctoral position.