The general hydrography of the Mozambique Channel

The greater Agulhas Current system is believed to form a key link in the global ocean circulation since it is the inter-ocean conduit for warm Indian Ocean water to the Atlantic Ocean. This system has been thought to derive its water from the South Equatorial Current via two sources: the Mozambique Current, and secondly, the East Madagascar Current. In spite of their global significance surprisingly few observations have been made in these source regions. In March 2000 a multidisciplinary cruise, the first one in 25 years, the Agulhas Current Sources Experiment (ACSEX-1) was carried out in the Mozambique Channel. The main aim of the ACSEX-1 cruise was to establish the existence, trajectory and hydrographic structure of the Mozambique Current. The use of satellite altimetry and numerical modeling revealed high mososcale activity in the Mozambique Channel. Thus guided by real-time altimetric data, the cruise sections intersected the main regions of high mesoscale activity in the centre of the Channel. From this dataset we are now able to determine whether the Mozambique Current is a continuous current or whether it exists merely of a train of eddies, as the altimetric data suggest.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Department of Oceanography

Year dc:date.issued

2003

Author dc:creator

• Jamaloodien, Shaheen

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Lutjeharms, Johann R E

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6483

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/6483