Work

Seasonal changes in the tropical Atlantic circulation: Observation and simulation of the Guinea Dome

Year: 1992

Type: article

Abstract: The Guinea Dome is a permanent, quasi‐stationary feature on the eastern side of the thermal ridge extending zonally across the tropical North Atlantic. The dome is a part of the large‐scale near‐surface flow fields associated with the North Equatorial Current, the North Equatorial Countercurrent and the North Equatorial Undercurrent. In the present study, historical and recently obtained hydrographic data are combined to investigate the thermohaline structure and geostrophic flow field in the vicinity of the dome. It is shown that the Guinea Dome exists throughout the year both in subthermocline and thermocline layers, that it has a corresponding cyclonic geostrophic flow, and that seasonal changes occur with respect to its vertical structure, horizontal extent, and position. The observational results are then compared with simulations from a general circulation model of the tropical Atlantic. A seven‐year simulation forced by observed monthly winds is run to compute a monthly climatology. The model adequately simulates the Guinea Dome with respect to its structure, flow field, and seasonal variability.

Source: Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres

DOI: 10.1029/91jc02501

Authors: Gerold Siedler, Norbert Zangenberg, Reiner Onken, Alain Morlière

Institutions: Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Université Pierre-et-Marie-Curie

Language: English

Topic: Oceanographic and Atmospheric Processes

Subfield: Oceanography

Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Climate action

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W2102287034