267:
222:
is nutrient rich and brings needed nutrients into the basin, causing chlorophyll blooms and supporting plant life that in turn attracts fish to feed on. Therefore, the BMC has an impact on commercial fishing to the point where fishermen track where the collision occurs throughout the year. From a global perspective, the BMC is important because the cold
Falkland warms as it encounters the subtropical climate which leads to the outgassing of CO
274:
Current research is focusing in on trying to better observe the Brazil–Falkland
Confluence Zone so the dynamics of this system can be better explained. Right now there only exists images of these small scale dynamical process (e.g. eddies), however, numerical interpretation of these eddies are still
221:
The presence of both currents, which have a stark contrast in properties, is the characteristic feature of the region. The northward flow of the cold
Falkland and the southward flow of the Brazil current has an influence on both local and global climate. They impact local biology because the Falkland
188:
The surface flow for the
Falkland Current after the collision with the Brazil Current is much simpler than that of the Brazil Current. Once the Falkland Current collides with the Brazil Current at the Brazil–Falkland Confluence Zone the Falkland Current gets redirected poleward. It will continue to
150:
in the Brazil–Falkland
Confluence Zone. These various water masses help contribute even more to this very complex dynamical confluence zone. Starting at the surface (<800m) where the Brazil Current is carrying Subtropical Surface Water and the Falkland Current is carrying Subantarctic Surface
179:
have been able to give us a better idea of what this flow looks like. After the Brazil
Current collides with the Falkland Current at around 38 degrees South, it branches off into two different paths. The first path gets redirected back equatorward and actually creates a large
192:
The temperature and salinity gradients that are generated by the Brazil–Falkland
Confluence Zone are amazing. The southeast deflected Brazil Current flows just east of the redirected Falkland current at around 57.5W and between 40 and 45S (See fig. 4). In this region
134:. It transports between 60 and 90 Sverdrups of water with speeds ranging from a half a meter to a meter per second. Hydrographic data in this area is very scarce and thus various hydrographic variables have a great deal of error. The Falkland Current is not simply a
275:
very much in the beginning stages of our understanding. The other major area of research is focusing in on the biological productivity in this region. This confluence zone is such a "hot spot" for primary production because the
Falkland Current supplies a lot of
103:
for the Brazil
Current range between 35 and 36psu with some isolated spots as high as 37 psu. The current typically flows in the upper 600 meters of the ocean and its volume transport as it reaches the confluence zone is upwards of 20
99:. The poleward directed branch is the current that comes into convergence with the Falklands Current. Typical temperature values for the Brazil Current are between 18 and 28 degrees Celsius, decreasing as it moves poleward. Typical
226:(warmer water cannot contain as much gas), and the warm Brazil current cools as it encounters the same climate which has the opposite effect - cooler water can contain more gas so the cooling of the Brazil increases the uptake of CO
94:
at around 10 degrees South. As it flows poleward it branches off into two pieces at around 22 degrees South. One part flows eastward, and the other portion continues the poleward march flowing along the South
American
279:
while the Brazil Current supplies warm ocean temperatures. Intense vertical mixing in these zones create a very fertile area for the production of biological species. This zone is looked at as a major atmospheric
342:
Memery, L., M. Arhan, X.A. Alvarez-Salgado, M-J. Messias, H. Mercier, C.G. Castro, A.F. Rios, 2000: The water masses along the western boundary of the south and equatorial Atlantic. Progress in Oceanography, 47,
184:
eddy with the original Brazil Current. The second path of the Brazil Current, which is much stronger than the aforementioned redirected path, is deflected about 45 degrees east of its original tract poleward.
212:
eddies existing at the same time. There is a lot of research going into the study of these high energy turbulent mixing areas, but it is still far too early to understand these mesoscale processes in depth.
361:
Vigan, X., C. Provost, and G. Podesta, 2000: Sea surface velocities from sea surface temperature image sequences 2. Application to the Brazil-Malvinas Confluence area. Journal of Geophysical Research, 105,
397:
Chiessi et al. (2007). Signature of the Brazil-Malvinas Confluence (Argentina Basin) in the isotopic composition of planktonic foraminifera from surface sediments. Marine Micropaleonotology 64. pp. 52-66.
204:, eddies, and filaments created in this confluence zone are extraordinary. The eddies exhibit strong rotational velocities and are extremely energetic. At any given time there could be 8 or 9 distinct
380:
Takahashi, T., Sutherland, S. C., Wanninkhof, R., Sweeney, C., Feely, R. A., Chipman, D. W., ... & De Baar, H. J. (2009). Climatological mean and decadal change in surface ocean pCO
371:
Tikinaga, H, et al. (2005). SST-Induced surface Wind Variations over the Brazil-Malvinas Confluence: Satellite and In Situ Observations. Journal of Climate. Vol 18. pp 3470-3482
352:
Vivier, F. and C. Provost, 1999b: Volume transport of the Malvinas Current: Can the flow be monitored by TOPEX/POSEIDON ? Journal of Geophysical Research, 104, 21105-21122.
138:
like the Brazil Current, but extends all the way to the sea floor. Typical temperatures for the current are around 6 °C, with a salinity of 33.5–34.5 psu.
189:
follow this poleward tract till about 50 degrees South latitude where it will once again be picked back up by the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and head East.
333:
Evans, D.L, S.S. Signorini and L.B. Miranda, 1983: A note on the transport of the Brazil Current. Journal of Physical Oceanography, 13, 1732-1738.
151:
Water, after these two surfaces collide they mix some, but in general they develop strong thermohaline fronts due to the strong difference in
163:
Deep Water. Between the Antarctic Intermediate Water and the Weddel Sea Deep Water there are three different water masses flowing poleward:
284:
due to the amount of primary production that takes place here which is vitally important in our changing climate. Figure 5 shows
413:
324:
Peterson, R.G. and L. Stramma, 1990: Upper-level circulation in the South Atlantic Ocean. Progress in Oceanography, 26, 1-73.
126:(also called Falklands Current or Malvinas Current) is an equatorward flowing current that carries cold and relatively fresh
197:
gradients can be as high as 1 degree C per kilometer. Salinity gradients are also extraordinarily high in this region.
159:
that is flowing equatorward. At the very bottom of the Brazil–Falkland Confluence Zone there is equatorward flowing
175:
The surface flow in the Brazil–Falkland Confluence Zone is still not quite well understood, but more recently
131:
388:
flux over the global oceans. Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 56(8-10), 554-577.
156:
311:
Maamaatuaiahutapu, K. et al.(1998)., Transports of the Brazil and Malvinas Currents at their Confluence.
312:
164:
91:
65:
194:
209:
246:
flux as well. All of this together makes the BMC a large carbon sink for global atmospheric CO
69:
8:
266:
53:
49:
61:
57:
242:
by the plants, and the regions strong wind speeds leads the region to have increase CO
96:
205:
123:
117:
41:
170:
135:
155:
and salinity. Below the surface from about 800 meters to 1500 meters there is
81:
37:
407:
44:
converge. The region oscillates latitudinally, but in general the region of
127:
285:
281:
270:
Fig. 5 Chlorophyll-a Concentration in the Brazil–Falkland Confluence Zone
181:
160:
152:
147:
87:
45:
254:
flux actually indicate that the BMC is the region of the strongest CO
176:
29:
276:
105:
100:
86:
The Brazil Current is a poleward flowing current that carries warm
167:, Lower Circumpolar Deep Water, and Upper Circumpolar Deep Water.
238:
to be taken up by the ocean. The photosynthetic utilization of CO
201:
33:
230:. The presence of the biology mentioned above also sequesters CO
171:
Surface flow and thermohaline gradients in the confluence zone
216:
28:) is a very energetic region of water just off the coast of
90:
water. The Brazil Current branches off northward from the
64:. The confluence of these two currents causes a strong
130:
water. The Falkland Current is a branch off of the
141:
405:
108:with speeds over a half a meter per second.
307:
305:
303:
301:
217:The BMC, Local Climate, and Global Climate
68:to exist and causes numerous high energy
265:
298:
406:
146:There are a total of seven different
261:
111:
13:
14:
425:
75:
40:and the cold equatorward flowing
36:where the warm poleward flowing
22:Brazil–Falklands Confluence Zone
288:-a concentration in this zone.
142:Water masses in confluence zone
26:Brazil–Malvinas Confluence Zone
18:Brazil–Falkland Confluence Zone
414:Currents of the Atlantic Ocean
391:
374:
365:
355:
346:
336:
327:
318:
250:. Some estimates of air-sea CO
1:
291:
132:Antarctic Circumpolar Current
258:in the southern hemisphere.
157:Antarctic Intermediate Water
7:
10:
430:
313:Journal of Marine Research
115:
79:
165:North Atlantic Deep Water
62:70 degrees west longitude
54:45 degrees south latitude
92:South Equatorial Current
195:sea surface temperature
271:
315:Vol. 56 Issue 2, p417
269:
384:, and net sea–air CO
272:
234:, allowing more CO
97:continental shelf
20:(also called the
421:
398:
395:
389:
378:
372:
369:
363:
359:
353:
350:
344:
340:
334:
331:
325:
322:
316:
309:
262:Current research
208:with many other
206:mesoscale eddies
124:Falkland Current
118:Falkland Current
112:Falkland Current
42:Falkland Current
429:
428:
424:
423:
422:
420:
419:
418:
404:
403:
402:
401:
396:
392:
387:
383:
379:
375:
370:
366:
360:
356:
351:
347:
341:
337:
332:
328:
323:
319:
310:
299:
294:
264:
257:
253:
249:
245:
241:
237:
233:
229:
225:
219:
173:
144:
136:surface current
120:
114:
84:
78:
48:occurs between
12:
11:
5:
427:
417:
416:
400:
399:
390:
385:
381:
373:
364:
354:
345:
335:
326:
317:
296:
295:
293:
290:
263:
260:
255:
251:
247:
243:
239:
235:
231:
227:
223:
218:
215:
172:
169:
143:
140:
116:Main article:
113:
110:
82:Brazil Current
80:Main article:
77:
76:Brazil Current
74:
38:Brazil Current
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
426:
415:
412:
411:
409:
394:
377:
368:
358:
349:
339:
330:
321:
314:
308:
306:
304:
302:
297:
289:
287:
283:
278:
268:
259:
214:
211:
207:
203:
198:
196:
190:
186:
183:
178:
168:
166:
162:
158:
154:
149:
139:
137:
133:
129:
125:
119:
109:
107:
102:
98:
93:
89:
83:
73:
71:
67:
63:
59:
55:
51:
47:
43:
39:
35:
31:
27:
23:
19:
393:
376:
367:
362:19515-19534.
357:
348:
338:
329:
320:
273:
220:
199:
191:
187:
182:anticyclonic
174:
148:water masses
145:
128:subantarctic
121:
85:
66:thermohaline
25:
21:
17:
15:
286:chlorophyll
282:carbon sink
161:Weddell Sea
153:temperature
88:subtropical
292:References
210:microscale
177:satellites
101:salinities
46:confluence
277:nutrients
106:Sverdrups
72:to form.
30:Argentina
408:Category
202:meanders
34:Uruguay
24:or the
343:69-98.
70:eddies
200:The
122:The
56:and
52:and
32:and
16:The
60:to
410::
300:^
58:50
50:35
386:2
382:2
256:2
252:2
248:2
244:2
240:2
236:2
232:2
228:2
224:2
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.