A double vortex was observed at the entrance to the Santa Barbara Channel, California, with sequential IR imagery from the NOAA 7 satellite during May 1984. While the wind blew strongly to the southeast, the double vortex moved westward with a velocity greater than that estimated for the mutual interaction of two idealized vortices. The effect of the double vortex on incoming Pacific swell is calculated by numerical integration of the ray equations. This calculation shows areas of focusing of the rays near the entrance to the channel, which suggests elevated wave energy there with reduced wave energy nearby. The pattern of wave refraction by mesoscale features, such as a double vortex, can help detect them and estimate their velocity distribution from remotely sensed surface wave imagery. The similarities and differences between refraction patterns produced by double vortices and by eddies is outlined. The double vortex and its generation by an episodic or tidal flow is investigated using Kashiwai's (1984) approach. An example of the related generation of a single vortex in the Alboran Sea by tidal flow in the Strait of Gibraltar is briefly discussed.
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