Elsevier

Deep Sea Research

Volume 25, Issue 12, December 1978, Pages 1209-1224
Deep Sea Research

Drift of a satellite-tracked buoy in the southern Agulhas Current and Agulhas Return Current

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Abstract

In September 1975 a satellite-tracked drifting buoy was released in the southwest Indian Ocean and tracked for 268 days. The track indicated that apart from a secondary eastward return of the Agulhas Current at 35°S, 25°E, a major return existed at 39°S, 13°E. From the latter position the flow speed in the Agulhas Return Current varied from 130 cm s−1 in the west down to 40 cm s−1 between 55 and 62°E. Evidence was found that the Agulhas Return Current was disturbed by two major excursions to the north over the Agulhas Plateau and the southern tip of the Moçambique Ridge. Each of these ‘anomalies’ extended northwards for 400 km and involved cyclonic eddies approximately 200 km in diameter.

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