The Equatorial Undercurrent in the central Atlantic and its relation to tropical Atlantic variability

Climate Dynamics

Volumn 43, Issue 11, 2014, Pages 2985-2997

  Brandt, Peter ^a   Funk, Andreas ^b   Tantet, Alexis ^a,c   Johns, William E ^d   Fischer, Jürgen ^a  

^a GEOMAR HELMHOLTZ CENTRE FOR OCEAN RESEARCH KIEL   (Germany)

^b Forschungsbereich für Wasserschall und Geophysik FWG   (Germany)

^c UTRECHT UNIVERSITY   (Netherlands)

^d UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI   (United States)

Author keywords

African monsoon; Cold tongue; Equatorial Atlantic circulation; Interannual variability; Moored and shipboard observations; Seasonal cycle

Indexed keywords

EID: 84893176714     PISSN: 09307575     EISSN: 14320894     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1007/s00382-014-2061-4     Document Type: Article

References (47)

1. Arhan M, Treguier AM, Bourles B, Michel S (2006) Diagnosing the annual cycle of the equatorial undercurrent in the Atlantic Ocean from a general circulation model. J Phys Oceanogr 36(8):1502–1522. doi:10.1175/Jpo2929.1
2. Athie G, Marin F (2008) Cross-equatorial structure and temporal modulation of intraseasonal variability at the surface of the Tropical Atlantic Ocean. J Geophys Res Oceans 113(C8). doi:10.1029/2007jc004332
3. Barnett TP (1983) Interaction of the monsoon and Pacific trade-wind system at interannual time scales. Part I: the equatorial zone. Mon Weather Rev 111(4):756–773. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1983)111<0756:Iotmap>2.0.Co;2
4. Brandt P, Schott FA, Provost C, Kartavtseff A, Hormann V, Bourles B, Fischer J (2006) Circulation in the central equatorial Atlantic: mean and intraseasonal to seasonal variability. Geophys Res Lett 33(7). doi:10.1029/2005gl025498
5. Brandt P, Hormann V, Bourles B, Fischer J, Schott FA, Stramma L, Dengler M (2008) Oxygen tongues and zonal currents in the equatorial Atlantic. J Geophys Res Oceans 113(C4). doi:10.1029/2007jc004435
6. Brandt P, Caniaux G, Bourles B, Lazar A, Dengler M, Funk A, Hormann V, Giordani H, Marin F (2011a) Equatorial upper-ocean dynamics and their interaction with the West African monsoon. Atmos Sci Lett 12(1):24–30
7. Brandt P, Funk A, Hormann V, Dengler M, Greatbatch RJ, Toole JM (2011b) Interannual atmospheric variability forced by the deep equatorial Atlantic Ocean. Nature 473(7348):497–500. doi:10.1038/Nature10013
8. Brandt P, Greatbatch RJ, Claus M, Didwischus SH, Hormann V, Funk A, Hahn J, Krahmann G, Fischer J, Kortzinger A (2012) Ventilation of the equatorial Atlantic by the equatorial deep jets. J Geophys Res Oceans 117. doi:10.1029/2012jc008118
9. Bunge L, Provost C, Kartavtseff A (2007) Variability in horizontal current velocities in the central and eastern equatorial Atlantic in 2002. J Geophys Res Oceans 112(C2). doi:10.1029/2006jc003704
10. Bunge L, Provost C, Hua BL, Kartavtseff A (2008) Variability at intermediate depths at the equator in the Atlantic ocean in 2000–06: annual cycle, equatorial deep jets, and intraseasonal meridional velocity fluctuations. J Phys Oceanogr 38(8):1794–1806. doi:10.1175/2008jpo3781.1
11. Caniaux G, Giordani H, Redelsperger JL, Guichard F, Key E, Wade M (2011) Coupling between the Atlantic cold tongue and the West African monsoon in boreal spring and summer. J Geophys Res Oceans 116. doi:10.1029/2010jc006570
12. Chang P, Yamagata T, Schopf P, Behera SK, Carton J, Kessler WS, Meyers G, Qu T, Schott F, Shetye S, Xie SP (2006) Climate fluctuations of tropical coupled systems—the role of ocean dynamics. J Clim 19(20):5122–5174. doi:10.1175/Jcli3903.1
13. Cromwell T, Montgomery RB, Stroup ED (1954) Equatorial undercurrent in Pacific Ocean revealed by new methods. Science 119(3097):648–649. doi:10.1126/Science.119.3097.648
14. Firing E, Lukas R, Sadler J, Wyrtki K (1983) Equatorial Undercurrent disappears during 1982–1983 El-Nino. Science 222(4628):1121–1123. doi:10.1126/Science.222.4628.1121
15. Foltz GR, McPhaden MJ (2010) Abrupt equatorial wave-induced cooling of the Atlantic cold tongue in 2009. Geophys Res Lett 37. doi:10.1029/2010gl045522
16. Foltz GR, McPhaden MJ, Lumpkin R (2012) A strong Atlantic Meridional Mode event in 2009: the role of mixed layer dynamics. J Clim 25(1):363–380. doi:10.1175/Jcli-D-11-00150.1
17. Foltz GR, Schmid C, Lumpkin R (2013) Seasonal cycle of the mixed layer heat budget in the northeastern tropical Atlantic Ocean. J Clim 26(20):8169–8188. doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-13-00037.1
18. Ganachaud A, Wunsch C (2000) Improved estimates of global ocean circulation, heat transport and mixing from hydrographic data. Nature 408(6811):453–457. doi:10.1038/35044048
19. Giarolla E, Nobre P, Malagutti M, Pezzi LP (2005) The Atlantic equatorial undercurrent: PIRATA observations and simulations with GFDL Modular Ocean model at CPTEC. Geophys Res Lett 32(10). doi:10.1029/2004gl022206
20. Goes M, Wainer I (2003) Equatorial currents transport changes for extreme warm and cold events in the Atlantic Ocean. Geophys Res Lett 30(5). doi:10.1029/2002gl015707
21. Greatbatch RJ, Brandt P, Claus M, Didwischus SH, Fu Y (2012) On the width of the equatorial deep jets. J Phys Oceanogr 42(10):1729–1740. doi:10.1175/Jpo-D-11-0238.1
22. Han WQ, Webster PJ, Lin JL, Liu WT, Fu R, Yuan DL, Hu AX (2008) Dynamics of intraseasonal sea level and thermocline variability in the equatorial Atlantic during 2002–03. J Phys Oceanogr 38(5):945–967. doi:10.1175/2008jpo3854.1
23. Hormann V, Brandt P (2007) Atlantic Equatorial Undercurrent and associated cold tongue variability. J Geophys Res Oceans 112(C6). doi:10.1029/2006jc003931
24. Hormann V, Brandt P (2009) Upper equatorial Atlantic variability during 2002 and 2005 associated with equatorial Kelvin waves. J Geophys Res Oceans 114. doi:10.1029/2008jc005101
25. Hummels R, Dengler M, Bourlès B (2013) Seasonal and regional variability of upper ocean diapycnal heat flux in the Atlantic cold tongue. Prog Oceanogr 111:52–74. doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2012.11.001
26. Johnson GC, Zhang DX (2003) Structure of the Atlantic Ocean equatorial deep jets. J Phys Oceanogr 33(3):600–609. doi:10.1175/1520-0485(2003)033<0600:Sotaoe>2.0.Co;2
27. Johnson GC, Sloyan BM, Kessler WS, McTaggart KE (2002) Direct measurements of upper ocean currents and water properties across the tropical Pacific during the 1990s. Prog Oceanogr 52(1):31–61. doi:10.1016/S0079-6611(02)00021-6
28. Jouanno J, Marin F, du Penhoat Y, Molines JM, Sheinbaum J (2011a) Seasonal modes of surface cooling in the Gulf of Guinea. J Phys Oceanogr 41(7):1408–1416. doi:10.1175/Jpo-D-11-031.1
29. Jouanno J, Marin F, du Penhoat Y, Sheinbaum J, Molines JM (2011b) Seasonal heat balance in the upper 100 m of the equatorial Atlantic Ocean. J Geophys Res Oceans 116. doi:10.1029/2010jc006912
30. Kessler WS, Johnson GC, Moore DW (2003) Sverdrup and nonlinear dynamics of the Pacific equatorial currents. J Phys Oceanogr 33(5):994–1008. doi:10.1175/1520-0485(2003)033<0994:Sandot>2.0.Co;2
31. Kolodziejczyk N, Bourles B, Marin F, Grelet J, Chuchla R (2009) Seasonal variability of the equatorial undercurrent at 10 degrees W as inferred from recent in situ observations. J Geophys Res Oceans 114. doi:10.1029/2008JC004976
32. Lumpkin R, Speer K (2003) Large-scale vertical and horizontal circulation in the North Atlantic Ocean. J Phys Oceanogr 33(9):1902–1920
33. Marin F, Caniaux G, Bourles B, Giordani H, Gouriou Y, Key E (2009) Why were sea surface temperatures so different in the eastern equatorial Atlantic in June 2005 and 2006? J Phys Oceanogr 39(6):1416–1431. doi:10.1175/2008jpo4030.1
34. McCreary JP, Lu P (1994) Interaction between the subtropical and equatorial ocean circulations—the subtropical cell. J Phys Oceanogr 24(2):466–497
35. Metcalf WG, Voorhis AD, Stalcup MC (1962) The Atlantic equatorial undercurrent. J Geophys Res 67(6):2156–2202. doi:10.1029/JZ067i006p02499
36. Okumura Y, Xie SP (2006) Some overlooked features of tropical Atlantic climate leading to a new Nino-like phenomenon. J Clim 19(22):5859–5874. doi:10.1175/Jcli3928.1
37. Philander SGH, Pacanowski RC (1980) The generation of equatorial currents. J Geophys Res Oceans 85(Nc2):1123–1136. doi:10.1029/Jc085ic02p01123
38. Philander SGH, Pacanowski RC (1981) The oceanic response to cross-equatorial winds (with application to coastal upwelling in low latitudes). Tellus 33(2):201–210
39. Polo I, Lazar A, Rodriguez-Fonseca B, Arnault S (2008) Oceanic Kelvin waves and tropical Atlantic intraseasonal variability: 1. Kelvin wave characterization. J Geophys Res Oceans 113(C7). doi:10.1029/2007jc004495
40. Provost C, Arnault S, Chouaib N, Kartavtseff A, Bunge L, Sultan E (2004) TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason equatorial sea surface slope anomaly in the Atlantic in 2002: comparison with wind and current measurements at 23 W. Mar Geod 27(1–2):31–45. doi:10.1080/01490410490465274
41. Qiao L, Weisberg RH (1997) The zonal momentum balance of the equatorial undercurrent in the central Pacific. J Phys Oceanogr 27(6):1094–1119
42. Richter I, Behera SK, Masumoto Y, Taguchi B, Sasaki H, Yamagata T (2013) Multiple causes of interannual sea surface temperature variability in the equatorial Atlantic Ocean. Nat Geosci 6(1):43–47. doi:10.1038/Ngeo1660
43. Schott FA, Fischer J, Stramma L (1998) Transports and pathways of the upper-layer circulation in the western tropical Atlantic. J Phys Oceanogr 28(10):1904–1928
44. Schott FA, Mccreary JP, Johnson GC (2004) Shallow overturning circulations of the tropical–subtropical oceans. In: Wang C, Xie S-P, Carton JA (eds) Earth climate: The ocean–atmosphere interaction. Geophys Monogr 147. American Geophysical Union, Washington, DC, pp 261–304
45. Sutton RT, Jewson SP, Rowell DP (2000) The elements of climate variability in the tropical Atlantic region. J Clim 13(18):3261–3284. doi:10.1175/1520-0442(2000)013<3261:Teocvi>2.0.Co;2
46. von Schuckmann K, Brandt P, Eden C (2008) Generation of tropical instability waves in the Atlantic Ocean. J Geophys Res Oceans 113(C8). doi:10.1029/2007jc004712
47. Weisberg RH, Hickman JH, Tang TY, Weingartner TJ (1987) Velocity and temperature observations during the seasonal response of the Equatorial Atlantic Experiment at 0°, 28°W. J Geophys Res Oceans 92(C5):5061–5075. doi:10.1029/Jc092ic05p05061