Some observations of the Azores Current and the North Equatorial Current

• Published in: Journal of Geophysical Research
• Main Authors: Stramma, Lothar, Müller, Thomas J.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: AGU (American Geophysical Union) 1989
• Subjects: North Atlantic
• Online Access: https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/32105/; https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/32105/1/some-observations-of-the-azores-current-and-the-north-equatorial-current.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1029/JC094iC03p03181

The regions containing the two zonal currents of the subtropical gyre in the eastern North Atlantic, the Azores Current and the North Equatorial Current (NEC), have quite different physical characteristics. Associated with the Azores Current are strong horizontal thermohaline gradients that can be located easily both at the surface and at depth with temperature data alone, thus making satellite IR imagery and expendable bathythermograph profiles suitable for observing it. During winter, the surface expression of the Azores Current is often found to the north of the strongest subsurface gradients. In contrast to the Azores Current and to the central water mass boundary just to the south, the NEC has relatively weak horizontal temperature and salinity gradients, requiring density information in order to identify it. There is no clear surface manifestation found with the NEC. Common to both currents, though, is that each transports O(8 Sv) in the upper 800 m of the ocean near 27°W, with the largest velocities being in the upper 400 m.