Upper layer circulation in the western tropical North Atlantic Ocean during August 1989

Wilson, W. Douglas; Johns, Elizabeth; Molinari, Robert L.

doi:10.1029/94jc02066

Cited by 59 publications

(63 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…The NECC is heavily supplied via cross-equatorial in flow during July to December or January, expressed by a strong surface current retroflection near 3°-5°N [Johns et al, 1990;Didden and Schott, 1992], while in spring to early summer the NECC is weak or even flowing westward [ Richardson and Reverdin, 1987]. The NECC can also be supplied from the north, as was determined by Wilson et al [1994] for August 1989, when significant transports out of the NEC turned south ward near the western boundary and joined the NECC. Part of this NEC recirculation even transited through the eastern Car ibbean.…”

Section: I Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%

The warm water inflow into the western tropical Atlantic boundary regime, spring 1994

Schott¹,

Stramma²,

Fischer³

1995

J. Geophys. Res.

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Abstract, During March 1994 a survey of the western boundary of the tropical Atlantic, between JO"N and JO'S, was carried out by conductivity-temperature-depth and current profiling using shipboard and lowered acoustic Doppler current profilers. In the near surface layer, above ac-l = 24.5, the inflo\v into the boundary regime came dominantly from low latitudes; out of the 14 Sv that crossed the equator in the upper part of the North Brazil Current (NBC), only 2 Sv originated from south of 5°S, while 12 Sv came in from the east at [ 0 -5°5 with the South Equatorial Current (SEC). After crossing the equator near 44°W, only a minor fraction of the near-surface NBC retroflected eastward, \\·hile a net through fl.o\v of about 12 Sv above a < -l = 24.5 continued northwest\vard along the boundary. By contrast, in the isopycnal range u,_ , � 24.5-26.8 encompassing the Equatorial Undercurrent (EUC), the source waters of the equatorial circulation were dominantly of higher-latitude South Atlantic origin. While only 3 Sv of eastern equatorial w·ater entered the region through the SEC at 3°-5°5, there was an inflow of 10 Sv of South Atlantic water�in the No�th Brazil Undercurrent (NBUC) along the South American coast that originated south of l0°S. The transport of 14 Sv arriving at the equator along the boundary in the undercurrent layer \vas almost entirely retroflected into the EUC with only marginal northern water additions along its path to 35°W. The off equatorial undercurrents in the upper thermocline, the South and North Equatorial Cndercurrents carried only small transports across 35°W, of 5 Sv and 3 Sv, respectively, dominantly supplied out of SEC recirculation rather than out of the boundary current. Still deeper, three zonal undercurrents ,vcre observed: the ,vest\vard-fl.owing Equatorial Intermediate Current (EiC) in the depth range 200-900 m below the EUC, and two off equatorial cast\vard undercurrents, the Northern and Southern Intermediate Countercurrents (NICC, SICC) at 400-1000 m and ] 0 -3° latitude. In the lower part of the '-:BUC there was an Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) inflow along the coast of 6 Sv, and there was a clear connection at the AAIW level to the SICC by low salinities and high o:xygens and a ,vcaker suggestion also that some supply of the NJCC might be through AAIW out of the deep NBUC.

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Section: I Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%

The warm water inflow into the western tropical Atlantic boundary regime, spring 1994

Schott¹,

Stramma²,

Fischer³

1995

J. Geophys. Res.

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“…However, the North Brazil Current System and lately the Caribbean passages have been studied extensively in recent years (Brown et al, 1992;da Silveira et al, 1994;Johns et al, 1990;Richardson, 1994;Richardson et al, 1994;Schott et al, 1995;SR9l;Wilson and Johns, 1996;Wilson et aL., 1994), so that a clearer picture is emerging. One schematic of the upper level currents at low latitudes in the North Atlantic is shown in Figure 1-74.…”

Section: On the Tropical Atlanticmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the world ocean circulation. Volume I, Some global features/North Atlantic circulation

Schmitz¹

1996

142

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“…Wilson et al (1994) and Bourlès et al (1999) identified three different origins for the water masses at the upper western equatorial Atlantic: North Atlantic Water (NAW), South Atlantic Water (SAW), and Eastern tropical Atlantic Water (EAW). The NAW originates in the subtropical region of the northern hemisphere and is advected towards the equator by the North Equatorial Current (NEC).…”

Section: Criteria For Determining Isothermal Mixed and Barrier Layersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1). The T/S references used to identify the water masses were obtained from Wilson et al (1994) and Bourlès et al (1999). Particular attention is given to those areas where SMW cores are observed between the 24.5 and 26.25 isopycnals.…”

Section: Criteria For Determining Isothermal Mixed and Barrier Layersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Salinity-induced mixed and barrier layers in the southwestern tropical Atlantic Ocean off the northeast of Brazil

et al. 2011

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Upper layer circulation in the western tropical North Atlantic Ocean during August 1989

Cited by 59 publications

References 12 publications

The warm water inflow into the western tropical Atlantic boundary regime, spring 1994

The warm water inflow into the western tropical Atlantic boundary regime, spring 1994

On the world ocean circulation. Volume I, Some global features/North Atlantic circulation

Salinity-induced mixed and barrier layers in the southwestern tropical Atlantic Ocean off the northeast of Brazil

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