ZONAL JETS IN THE EQUATORIAL ATLANTIC OCEAN

• Main Authors: González-Santana, Juan Alberto, Vélez-Belchí, Pedro
• Format: Review
• Language: English
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: Centro Oceanográfico de Canarias; Argo; Medio Marino; floats; zonal jet; North Atlantic; Atlantic Ocean; deep waters; cycle; equator; jets; water column; energy transfer; convergence; surface circulation; Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10508/10814; http://hdl.handle.net/10261/317832

This is a summary of the paper "Zonal Jets in the Equatorial Atlantic Ocean" for the EuroArgo platform in order to show the possible uses of data from ARGO profilers by the scientific community. The original authors are contained in the review. Argo floats data have been used to investigate the zonal jet structure of the flow field at the sea surface and on three subsurface layers (Central Waters, 200 m; Antarctic Intermediate Waters, 1000 m; upper North Atlantic Deep Waters, 1500 m) in the equatorial Atlantic Ocean system (15oS to 15oN). The surface currents are dominated by an annual cycle between 4oN and 10oN and, to a lesser degree, by a semi-annual contribution close to the equator. This variability is an outcome of evolving zonal recirculations and some regions as Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) are involved. The major characteristics of the zonal jets in the equatorial Atlantic Ocean at surface and sub – surface levels are shown in Table 1. The predominant surface current is the westward flowing Southern Equatorial Current (SEC). This current is composed of three branches: central (cSEC), equatorial (eSEC) and northern (nSEC). On the other hand, the North Equatorial Countercurrent (NECC) is characterized by an intense annual cycle and it is found between the sea surface and depths of about 350 m. Other major zonal currents are observed at subsurface levels, flowing east under the wind-driven westward SEC. These are the Equatorial Undercurrent (EUC), centered at the equator and 100 m depth, and the off-equatorial South/North Equatorial under Currents (SEUC/NEUC), centered at some 150 – 200 m and 4oN/4oS. Besides, Equatorial Deep Jets (EDJs) are found at depths between 300 and 2500 m. These jets have relatively short meridional scales, as little as only 1o, and display alternating directions on vertical distances of 400 – 600 m with velocities about 0,2 m.s-1. Their vertical structure is quite consistent through one same season but changes with season. This is a summary of the paper "Zonal Jets in ...