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Meanders observed in surface currents and hydrography during an Equatorial Atlantic Transect
Author(s) -
McPhaden Michael J.,
Fieux Michele,
Gonella Joseph
Publication year - 1984
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/gl011i008p00757
Subject(s) - transect , geology , hydrography , oceanography , amplitude , mooring , tropical atlantic , wavelength , dynamic height , climatology , sea surface temperature , physics , optoelectronics , quantum mechanics
Data collected during an equatorial Atlantic transect in June 1983 aboard the RV Marion Dufresne indicate the presence of energetic meanders of the surface South Equatorial Current with a zonal wavelength of ∼1000 km and an amplitude of 0(50 cm sec −1 ). Organized structures appear in the surface salinity and temperature fields as well with amplitudes of 0(1‰) and 0(1°C) respectively. These disturbances are similar to those that have been previously observed in the Atlantic and Pacific and, based on contemporaneous mooring data, are the manifestation of an unstable wave propagating westward with a period of 25 days.