Seasonal Variability of Retroflection Structures and Transports in the Atlantic Ocean as Inferred from Satellite-Derived Salinity Maps
Three of the world’s most energetic regions are in the tropical and South Atlantic: the North Brazil Current Retroflection, the Brazil-Malvinas Confluence, and the Agulhas Current Retroflection. All three regions display offshore diversions of major boundary currents, which define the inte...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2019-04-01
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| Series: | Remote Sensing |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/11/7/802 |
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| author | Paola Castellanos Estrella Olmedo Josep Lluis Pelegrí Antonio Turiel Edmo J. D. Campos |
| author_facet | Paola Castellanos Estrella Olmedo Josep Lluis Pelegrí Antonio Turiel Edmo J. D. Campos |
| author_sort | Paola Castellanos |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Three of the world’s most energetic regions are in the tropical and South Atlantic: the North Brazil Current Retroflection, the Brazil-Malvinas Confluence, and the Agulhas Current Retroflection. All three regions display offshore diversions of major boundary currents, which define the intensity of the returning limb of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation. In this work, we use a sea-surface salinity (SSS) satellite product, combined with a high-resolution numerical model and in situ measurements, in order to explore the seasonal variation of the surface currents and transports in these three regions. The analysis of the model output shows that the SSS patterns reflect the surface velocity structure, with the largest horizontal SSS gradients coinciding with those areas of highest velocity and the most predominant velocity vector being 90° anticlockwise (clockwise) from the horizontal SSS gradient in the northern (southern) hemisphere. This information is then applied to the SSS satellite product to obtain maps of water velocity and salt transports, leading to a quantitative tool to estimate both water and salt transports in key regions of the world ocean. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T10:47:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-084d7dadfae94b01a2b942349519e386 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T10:47:41Z |
| publishDate | 2019-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-084d7dadfae94b01a2b942349519e3862022-12-21T23:50:01ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922019-04-0111780210.3390/rs11070802rs11070802Seasonal Variability of Retroflection Structures and Transports in the Atlantic Ocean as Inferred from Satellite-Derived Salinity MapsPaola Castellanos0Estrella Olmedo1Josep Lluis Pelegrí2Antonio Turiel3Edmo J. D. Campos4Department d’Oceanografia Física i Tecnològica, Institut de Ciencias del Mar, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 08003 Barcelona, SpainDepartment d’Oceanografia Física i Tecnològica, Institut de Ciencias del Mar, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 08003 Barcelona, SpainDepartment d’Oceanografia Física i Tecnològica, Institut de Ciencias del Mar, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 08003 Barcelona, SpainDepartment d’Oceanografia Física i Tecnològica, Institut de Ciencias del Mar, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 08003 Barcelona, SpainInstituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 01000-000, BrazilThree of the world’s most energetic regions are in the tropical and South Atlantic: the North Brazil Current Retroflection, the Brazil-Malvinas Confluence, and the Agulhas Current Retroflection. All three regions display offshore diversions of major boundary currents, which define the intensity of the returning limb of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation. In this work, we use a sea-surface salinity (SSS) satellite product, combined with a high-resolution numerical model and in situ measurements, in order to explore the seasonal variation of the surface currents and transports in these three regions. The analysis of the model output shows that the SSS patterns reflect the surface velocity structure, with the largest horizontal SSS gradients coinciding with those areas of highest velocity and the most predominant velocity vector being 90° anticlockwise (clockwise) from the horizontal SSS gradient in the northern (southern) hemisphere. This information is then applied to the SSS satellite product to obtain maps of water velocity and salt transports, leading to a quantitative tool to estimate both water and salt transports in key regions of the world ocean.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/11/7/802sea surface salinitySMOSretroflectionssurface velocitywater transportsalt transport |
| spellingShingle | Paola Castellanos Estrella Olmedo Josep Lluis Pelegrí Antonio Turiel Edmo J. D. Campos Seasonal Variability of Retroflection Structures and Transports in the Atlantic Ocean as Inferred from Satellite-Derived Salinity Maps Remote Sensing sea surface salinity SMOS retroflections surface velocity water transport salt transport |
| title | Seasonal Variability of Retroflection Structures and Transports in the Atlantic Ocean as Inferred from Satellite-Derived Salinity Maps |
| title_full | Seasonal Variability of Retroflection Structures and Transports in the Atlantic Ocean as Inferred from Satellite-Derived Salinity Maps |
| title_fullStr | Seasonal Variability of Retroflection Structures and Transports in the Atlantic Ocean as Inferred from Satellite-Derived Salinity Maps |
| title_full_unstemmed | Seasonal Variability of Retroflection Structures and Transports in the Atlantic Ocean as Inferred from Satellite-Derived Salinity Maps |
| title_short | Seasonal Variability of Retroflection Structures and Transports in the Atlantic Ocean as Inferred from Satellite-Derived Salinity Maps |
| title_sort | seasonal variability of retroflection structures and transports in the atlantic ocean as inferred from satellite derived salinity maps |
| topic | sea surface salinity SMOS retroflections surface velocity water transport salt transport |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/11/7/802 |
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