Marine Science Faculty Publications
Meanders and Long Waves in the Equatorial Atlantic
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
9-1975
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1038/257280a0
Abstract
Observations from the GATE Equatorial Oceanographic Experiment are presented. They reveal large scale meandering of the westward flowing South Equatorial Current and of the eastward flowing Equatorial Undercurrent with time scales of 2–3 weeks. Meandering of the flow pattern was found to be related to corresponding displacements of the high salinity core of the undercurrent. The observations tend to support the assumption of a long wave propagating westward with a phase speed of 2.3 m s−1 and a wavelength of 3,200 km. A possible explanation may be given in terms of unstable waves caused by large scale horizontal shear in the Equatorial Current System.
Was this content written or created while at USF?
No
Citation / Publisher Attribution
Nature, v. 257, p. 280-284
Scholar Commons Citation
Düing, W.; Hisard, H.; Katz, E.; Meincke, J.; Miller, L.; Weisberg, Robert H.; Moroshkin, K. V.; Philander, G.; Ribinikov, A. A.; and Voigt, K., "Meanders and Long Waves in the Equatorial Atlantic" (1975). Marine Science Faculty Publications. 432.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/msc_facpub/432
