Title
Near-surface western boundary circulation off Northeast Brazil
Date Issued
01 January 2021
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Universidade Federal de Pernambuco
Publisher(s)
Elsevier B.V.
Abstract
In the tropical Atlantic Ocean, the North Brazil Undercurrent (NBUC) and the North Brazil Current (NBC) play important roles as near-surface northward paths for the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation. To investigate the meridional evolution of the near-surface western boundary circulation in that region, two surveys were carried out off Northeast Brazil during austral spring 2015 and fall 2017, periods that we show to be representative of typical conditions for the spring and fall seasons. Using conductivity temperature depth oxygen probe and ship-mounted acoustic Doppler current profiler measurements, altimetry data, and numerical reanalysis products, we examine the spatiotemporal variability of the NBUC, providing a comprehensive view of the circulation, including NBUC-NBC transition and the potential impact of mesoscale eddies. The NBUC originating south of 10°S flows equatorward over the continental slope. NBUC mean velocity, transport and vertical extent of the velocity core were higher in spring 2015 (0.81 m s−1, 15.6 Sv, and >400 m) than in fall 2017 (0.65 m s−1, 11.0 Sv, and ~300 m). The upper limit of the NBUC velocity core rose slightly from 160 m at 9°S to 105 m depth at 6°S. This pattern is associated with a northward increase in current velocity from 0.7 m s−1 at 9°S to 1 m s−1 at 5°S. The orographic effect shifts the flow from northeastward south of 7.5°S to northwestward north of 7.5°S, following the shoreline. Besides, altimetry data show that this flow can be locally influenced by mesoscale activity. Farther north, at ~4.8°S, data obtained in fall 2017 show that the central branch of the South Equatorial Current (cSEC) enters into the western boundary system where it coalesces with the NBUC to form the NBC, flowing toward the Caribbean Sea. Finally, in fall, the NBUC retroflection does not feed the South Equatorial Undercurrent (SEUC), which, instead originates from retroflections of the cSEC and the equatorial branch of the South Equatorial Current (eSEC).
Volume
190
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Oceanografía, Hidrología, Recursos hídricos
Subjects
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85097731494
Source
Progress in Oceanography
ISSN of the container
00796611
Sponsor(s)
We acknowledge the French oceanographic fleet for funding ABRAÇOS 1 and 2 ship-time and the officers and crew of the R/V Antea for their contribution to the success of the operations. Pierre Lopez (IRD, MARBEC) is thanked for editing Fig. 1. This work was supported by the CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior) through a PhD scholarship grant for A.N.D. M.A. appreciates the support of the Brazilian Research Network on Global Climate Changes – Rede CLIMA (FINEP-CNPq 437167/2016-0) and the Brazilian National Institute of Science and Technology for Tropical Marine Environments - INCT AmbTropic (CNPq/FAPESB 565054/2010-4 and 8936/2011). We thank the three anonymous reviewers for their constructive suggestions that helped improve the manuscript. This work is a contribution to the International Joint Laboratory TAPIOCA (www.tapioca.ird.fr), to the SMAC project (CAPES/COFECUB n° 88881.142689/2017–01), the PADDLE project (funding by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme - grant agreement No. 73427), and to the TRIATLAS project, which has also received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 817578.
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción Científica
Scopus