Understanding Thermohaline Mixing in the Agulhas Return Current from Seismic and Finestructure Observations
Abstract
The Agulhas Current System in the South Indian Ocean (Figure 1a) is one of the strongest western boundary current systems in the world due to its large volume transport (order 70 Sv) and high distribution of mean kinetic energy (up to 500 cm2/s2 in the northern Agulhas Current) (Lutjeharms, 2007). Downstream of the southwestward flowing Agulhas Current, the Agulhas Return Current (ARC) begins at the Agulhas retroflection in the southeast Atlantic and flows eastward in a quasistationary meandering pattern between 38o and 40o S (Boebel et al., 2003). Like the Agulhas Current, the ARC exhibits intense dynamics, strong mean currents, high levels of mesoscale variability and abundant eddy events (Lutjeharms and Ansorge, 2001). In addition, the close contact between subpolar and sub-tropical water masses in this region produces a strong frontal zone that is characterized by the presence of a strong temperature front and is manifested by interleaving thermohaline intrusions at submesoscales.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 2014
- Accession Number
- ADA610875
Entities
People
- Ana E. Rice
- Jeffrey W. Book
- Warren T. Wood
Organizations
- United States Naval Research Laboratory