Trends in the Agulhas Return Current

Yotam Fadida; Neil Malan; Meghan F. Cronin; Juliet Hermes

doi:10.1016/j.dsr.2021.103573

Trends in the Agulhas Return Current

Yotam Fadida, Neil Malan, Meghan F. Cronin, Juliet Hermes

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Recent observations report a poleward shift in several of the world's western boundary current extensions in response to a warming climate. However, the nature and variability of the Agulhas Return Current (ARC) is still relatively unknown, leading to uncertainty in its response to gyre intensification. The objective of this work is to investigate meridional migration and eddy kinetic energy (EKE) trends in the ARC over the past 27 years using satellite-derived altimetry products. A difference is seen between the western and eastern regions of the ARC, the former exhibiting a predominantly equatorward migration and the latter moving predominantly poleward. The ARC is shown to be a region highly influenced by its bathymetry. Additionally, we show that the regional EKE peaks during austral summer months and that there has been a significant rise in summertime EKE levels between 1994–2011.

Original language	English
Article number	103573
Journal	Deep-Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers
Volume	175
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2021.103573
State	Published - Sep 2021
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021

Keywords

Agulhas Return Current
Eddy kinetic energy
Western boundary extension

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Oceanography
Aquatic Science

Access to Document

10.1016/j.dsr.2021.103573

Cite this

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title = "Trends in the Agulhas Return Current",

abstract = "Recent observations report a poleward shift in several of the world's western boundary current extensions in response to a warming climate. However, the nature and variability of the Agulhas Return Current (ARC) is still relatively unknown, leading to uncertainty in its response to gyre intensification. The objective of this work is to investigate meridional migration and eddy kinetic energy (EKE) trends in the ARC over the past 27 years using satellite-derived altimetry products. A difference is seen between the western and eastern regions of the ARC, the former exhibiting a predominantly equatorward migration and the latter moving predominantly poleward. The ARC is shown to be a region highly influenced by its bathymetry. Additionally, we show that the regional EKE peaks during austral summer months and that there has been a significant rise in summertime EKE levels between 1994–2011.",

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journal = "Deep-Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers",

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AU - Fadida, Yotam

AU - Malan, Neil

AU - Cronin, Meghan F.

AU - Hermes, Juliet

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N2 - Recent observations report a poleward shift in several of the world's western boundary current extensions in response to a warming climate. However, the nature and variability of the Agulhas Return Current (ARC) is still relatively unknown, leading to uncertainty in its response to gyre intensification. The objective of this work is to investigate meridional migration and eddy kinetic energy (EKE) trends in the ARC over the past 27 years using satellite-derived altimetry products. A difference is seen between the western and eastern regions of the ARC, the former exhibiting a predominantly equatorward migration and the latter moving predominantly poleward. The ARC is shown to be a region highly influenced by its bathymetry. Additionally, we show that the regional EKE peaks during austral summer months and that there has been a significant rise in summertime EKE levels between 1994–2011.

AB - Recent observations report a poleward shift in several of the world's western boundary current extensions in response to a warming climate. However, the nature and variability of the Agulhas Return Current (ARC) is still relatively unknown, leading to uncertainty in its response to gyre intensification. The objective of this work is to investigate meridional migration and eddy kinetic energy (EKE) trends in the ARC over the past 27 years using satellite-derived altimetry products. A difference is seen between the western and eastern regions of the ARC, the former exhibiting a predominantly equatorward migration and the latter moving predominantly poleward. The ARC is shown to be a region highly influenced by its bathymetry. Additionally, we show that the regional EKE peaks during austral summer months and that there has been a significant rise in summertime EKE levels between 1994–2011.

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Trends in the Agulhas Return Current

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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