Investigating the global impacts of the Agulhas current

• Published in: Eos, Transactions American Geophysical Union
• Main Authors: Zahn, Rainer, Lutjeharms, Johann, Biastoch, Arne, Hall, Ian R, Knorr, Gregor, Park, Wonsun, Reason, Chris
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: Agulhas; Global climate; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*; South Atlantic Ocean
• Online Access: https://ddd.uab.cat/record/158089

The Agulhas Current is the major western boundary current of the Southern Hemisphere [Lutjeharms, 2006] and a key component of the global ocean "conveyor" circulation controlling the return flow to the Atlantic Ocean [Gordon, 1986]. As such, it is increasingly recognized as a key player in ocean thermohaline circulation, with importance for the meridional overturning circulation (MOC) of the Atlantic Ocean. Unusual dynamics pervade the motion of this warm-water current-as it moves west around the southern tip of Africa, it is retroflected back east by the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. Not all waters are captured by this sudden diversion of course-parts of the Agulhas Current leak away into the South Atlantic Ocean (Figure 1).