Agulhas Return Current
The Agulhas Return Current (ARC) is an ocean current in the South Indian Ocean. The ARC contributes to the water exchange between oceans by forming a link between the South Atlantic Current and the South Indian Ocean Current.[1] It can reach velocities of up to 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) and is therefore popular among participants in trans-oceanic sailing races.[2]
Oceanography
The ARC originates from the
The Agulhas Current follows the continental shelf of the African east-coast, pass through the
The water mass loses a lot of heat at the Agulhas Retroflection, up to 200 W/m3 (0.0076 hp/cu ft), while evaporation and precipitation change the composition of the upper layers. The ARC, therefore, has another composition than the Agulhas Current proper.[3] It also loses velocity from 110–75 cm/s (43–30 in/s) and volume transport from 70 to 54 million m³/s. Furthermore, all traces of Indian Tropical Surface Water are gone.[4]
Having left the retroflection, the ARC meanders east between 36°S and 41°S.[5] These meanders were described as
References
Notes
- ^ Lutjeharms & Ansorge 2001, Abstract, p. 35
- ^ a b Boebel et al. 2003, Introduction, pp. 35-37
- ^ a b Lutjeharms & Ansorge 2001, Introduction, pp. 115-117
- ^ a b c Lutjeharms & Ansorge 2001, Conclusions, pp. 135-136
- ^ Rouault, Penven & Pohl 2009
- ^ Harris 1970
- ^ Lutjeharms et al. 2004
- ^ Park, Gamberoni & Charriaud 1993, Abstract
Sources
- Boebel, O.; Rossby, T.; . Retrieved 15 May 2015.
- Harris, T. F. W. (1970). "Planetary-type Waves in the South West Indian Ocean". Nature. 227 (5262): 1043–1044. S2CID 4166656.
- Lutjeharms, J. R. E.; Ansorge, I. J. (2001). "The Agulhas return current" (PDF). Journal of Marine Systems. 30 (1): 115–138. . Retrieved 15 May 2015.
- Lutjeharms, J.; Ansorge, I.; Gründlinch, M.; Ballegooyen, R., van; Weeks, C.; Machu, E.; Boebel, O. (2004). "Comment on "New Global Drifter Data Set Available"". Eos, Transactions American Geophysical Union. 85 (19): 188. doi:10.1029/2004EO190010.)
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: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - Park, Y.-H.; Gamberoni, L.; Charriaud, E. (1993). "Frontal structure, water masses, and circulation in the Crozet Basin". Journal of Geophysical Research. 98 (C7): 12361–12385. .
- Rouault, M.; Penven, P.; Pohl, B. (2009). "Warming in the Agulhas Current system since the 1980s". Geophysical Research Letters. 36 (12): L12602. .