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Science Meetings

On the Pathways of the MOC in the South Atlantic
Matano, R.P., Combes, V., and Palma, E.D. (19-Nov-15)

We investigate the pathways of the meridional overturning circulation in the South Atlantic Ocean using the results of an eddy-resolving, nested model. We characterize the pathways of surface, intermediate and deep waters in the subtropical region and establish the relationships between these different pathways. Passive tracer diagnostics indicates that the bulk of the Indian Ocean waters injected by Agulhas eddies do not leave the subtropical gyre but, instead it is re-circulated within the gyre. Agulhas eddies, however, appear to play an important role in connecting the upper and deep ocean circulations in the subtropical region.