Data and code for "Mesoscale Eddy Currents Reshape the Spatial Distribution of Wave Height in the Southern Ocean"

Mesoscale eddy currents influence ocean surface waves, but their imprints on wave height remain poorly constrained from observations. Here we analyze significant wave height (SWH) variations associated with over 42,000 mesoscale eddies in the Southern Ocean using along-track Jason-3 altimeter measurements. We identify a pronounced meridional dipole pattern, with reduced SWH where wave propagation aligns with eddy currents and enhanced SWH where they oppose each other. For eddies with a typical radius of 45 km, geostrophic velocity anomalies of ~0.15 m s^-1 correspond to SWH changes of ~5 cm. This dipole pattern reflects the combined effects of eddy-induced absolute wind anomalies, the relative wind effect, and direct current-wave interactions, including advection, frequency shifting, and refraction. Idealized numerical simulations further show that refraction dominates the direct current-wave interactions. These results underscore the importance of explicitly accounting for mesoscale currents when characterizing and forecasting wave height in eddy-rich regions