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Deep circulation in the equatorial Atlantic Ocean
Author(s) -
Gouriou Y.,
Andrié C.,
Bourlès B.,
Freudenthal S.,
Arnault S.,
Aman A.,
Eldin G.,
du Penhoat Y.,
Baurand F.,
Gallois F.,
Chuchla R.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2000gl012326
Subject(s) - north atlantic deep water , geology , oceanography , water mass , boundary current , equator , thermohaline circulation , circumpolar deep water , ocean current , antarctic intermediate water , zonal and meridional , shutdown of thermohaline circulation , antarctic bottom water , gulf stream , climatology , latitude , geodesy
In the Atlantic Ocean, the northward export of warm surface water is compensated by a southward flow of cold North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW). The NADW is transported southward along the American continental margin within the Deep Western Boundary Current (DWBC). Some tracer and float observations have shown that part of the DWBC water flows eastward along the equator. Here we present three meridional velocity sections which give an instantaneous image of the top‐to‐bottom zonal circulation along the equatorial Atlantic. They reveal the presence of Equatorial Deep Jets (EDJs) between 1°30′N and 1°30′S, alternating eastward‐westward currents with short vertical scale, surrounded by columns of eastward currents (the Extra Equatorial Jets or EEJs) at 2°N and 2°S. In addition to direct velocity measurements, tracer distributions give indications of water‐mass feeding of the EDJs and EEJs by the DWBC.