Some observations of the Azores Current and the North Equatorial Current
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 l...
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AGU (American Geophysical Union)
1989
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ftoceanrep:oai:oceanrep.geomar.de:32105 2023-05-15T17:32:46+02:00 Some observations of the Azores Current and the North Equatorial Current Stramma, Lothar Müller, Thomas J. 1989-03-15 text 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 en eng AGU (American Geophysical Union) https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/32105/1/some-observations-of-the-azores-current-and-the-north-equatorial-current.pdf Stramma, L. and Müller, T. J. (1989) Some observations of the Azores Current and the North Equatorial Current. Open Access Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 94 (C3). p. 3181. DOI 10.1029/JC094iC03p03181 <https://doi.org/10.1029/JC094iC03p03181>. doi:10.1029/JC094iC03p03181 cc_by_3.0 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Article PeerReviewed 1989 ftoceanrep https://doi.org/10.1029/JC094iC03p03181 2023-04-07T15:25:02Z 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. Article in Journal/Newspaper North Atlantic OceanRep (GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre für Ocean Research Kiel) Journal of Geophysical Research 94 C3 3181 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
OceanRep (GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre für Ocean Research Kiel) |
op_collection_id |
ftoceanrep |
language |
English |
description |
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. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Stramma, Lothar Müller, Thomas J. |
spellingShingle |
Stramma, Lothar Müller, Thomas J. Some observations of the Azores Current and the North Equatorial Current |
author_facet |
Stramma, Lothar Müller, Thomas J. |
author_sort |
Stramma, Lothar |
title |
Some observations of the Azores Current and the North Equatorial Current |
title_short |
Some observations of the Azores Current and the North Equatorial Current |
title_full |
Some observations of the Azores Current and the North Equatorial Current |
title_fullStr |
Some observations of the Azores Current and the North Equatorial Current |
title_full_unstemmed |
Some observations of the Azores Current and the North Equatorial Current |
title_sort |
some observations of the azores current and the north equatorial current |
publisher |
AGU (American Geophysical Union) |
publishDate |
1989 |
url |
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 |
genre |
North Atlantic |
genre_facet |
North Atlantic |
op_relation |
https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/32105/1/some-observations-of-the-azores-current-and-the-north-equatorial-current.pdf Stramma, L. and Müller, T. J. (1989) Some observations of the Azores Current and the North Equatorial Current. Open Access Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 94 (C3). p. 3181. DOI 10.1029/JC094iC03p03181 <https://doi.org/10.1029/JC094iC03p03181>. doi:10.1029/JC094iC03p03181 |
op_rights |
cc_by_3.0 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/JC094iC03p03181 |
container_title |
Journal of Geophysical Research |
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94 |
container_issue |
C3 |
container_start_page |
3181 |
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1766131046728859648 |