The Azores Current

Links: Please click on the links below to learn more about the Azores current. Example Plots are below the Links.

(Data showing westward flowing Azores current).
Mesoscale Variabilities and Gulf Stream Bifurcation in the Newfoundland Basin Observed by Geosat Altimeter Data by M. Ikeda (Abstract of Azores Current eddy variability) (Adobe PDF file)
AVISO/Altimetry - Image of the Month: May 1999 - (Buoy trajectories on dynsmic height map and animation).
(Meddy and Azores current interaction).
CLS contribution to CANIGO.

Example Plots: Clicking on a thumbnail image loads a larger image, clicking on the figure number downloads a PostScript image.

Figure 1.   The Azores current as represented by the Mariano Global Surface Velocity Analysis (MGSVA). The Azores current is the southeastward flow component of the North Atlantic subtropical gyre. The southernmost highlighted velocities are also known as the Portugal Current. Click here for example plots of seasonal averages.

Figure 2.   Global Ocean Surface Velocities from Drifters    (top panel w/ SST, bottom panel w/ Speed)    Figure Caption is Under Construction. Click here for example plots of seasonal averages.

Figure 3.   The Azore Islands are south of 40°N between 35°W to 25°W. The Azore front with cooler water to the north and warmer water to the south is visible in this animation . The Azores Current is most visible when SST is warm during the summer months from mid July to mid September. There is a lot of eddy variability in this area. ( Click the thumbnail to play the animation. )

Figure 4.

Figure 5.

Figure 6.

Figure 7.   Trajectories of three buoys (ID 23708, 23762 and 23765) whose net movement is consistent with the subtropical flow in the North-East Atlantic. All the buoys start in the Gulf Stream Current, east of 60 W and travel primarily eastward/southeastward in the Azores Current to near 35 S. All three buoy trajectories illustrate current meanders and significant eddy motion. Two of the buoys (ID 23765 and 23708) are advected to the southwest by the Canary Current.

Figure 8.   These two buoys are in the southern domain of the Azores Current. These buoy trajectories also illustrate current meanders and eddy motion. Buoy 09421108 ends up in the Portugal Current area, while buoy 09421109 enters the Canary Current in the winter of 1995/96. The trajectory of Buoy 09421109 is a good example of a buoy whose mean path traces out a "tight" North Atlantic subtropical gyre, yet it has significant spatial variability at a multitude of scales. There is meandering with a wavelength of about 500 km in spring of 1995, followed by meanders and eddies with scales on the order of 100 km. Also, in fall of 1995 and spring of 1996, looping motion with scales of tens of km are evident.

Figure 9.   AVRRR image of the sea-surface temperature (SST).

Figure 10.   Geography of the region.

Figure 11.   Topography/Bathymetry of the region.

	Figure 1. The Azores current as represented by the Mariano Global Surface Velocity Analysis (MGSVA). The Azores current is the southeastward flow component of the North Atlantic subtropical gyre. The southernmost highlighted velocities are also known as the Portugal Current. Click here for example plots of seasonal averages.
	Figure 2. Global Ocean Surface Velocities from Drifters (top panel w/ SST, bottom panel w/ Speed) Figure Caption is Under Construction. Click here for example plots of seasonal averages.
	Figure 3. The Azore Islands are south of 40°N between 35°W to 25°W. The Azore front with cooler water to the north and warmer water to the south is visible in this animation . The Azores Current is most visible when SST is warm during the summer months from mid July to mid September. There is a lot of eddy variability in this area. ( Click the thumbnail to play the animation. )
	Figure 4.
	Figure 5.
	Figure 6.
	Figure 7. Trajectories of three buoys (ID 23708, 23762 and 23765) whose net movement is consistent with the subtropical flow in the North-East Atlantic. All the buoys start in the Gulf Stream Current, east of 60 W and travel primarily eastward/southeastward in the Azores Current to near 35 S. All three buoy trajectories illustrate current meanders and significant eddy motion. Two of the buoys (ID 23765 and 23708) are advected to the southwest by the Canary Current.
	Figure 8. These two buoys are in the southern domain of the Azores Current. These buoy trajectories also illustrate current meanders and eddy motion. Buoy 09421108 ends up in the Portugal Current area, while buoy 09421109 enters the Canary Current in the winter of 1995/96. The trajectory of Buoy 09421109 is a good example of a buoy whose mean path traces out a "tight" North Atlantic subtropical gyre, yet it has significant spatial variability at a multitude of scales. There is meandering with a wavelength of about 500 km in spring of 1995, followed by meanders and eddies with scales on the order of 100 km. Also, in fall of 1995 and spring of 1996, looping motion with scales of tens of km are evident.
	Figure 9. AVRRR image of the sea-surface temperature (SST).
	Figure 10. Geography of the region.
	Figure 11. Topography/Bathymetry of the region.