CoChat
Sign Up
Cited by 16Oceanographic and Atmospheric ProcessesClimate variability and modelsMarine and coastal ecosystems

Variability of the Atlantic off-equatorial eastward currents during 1993–2010 using a synthetic method.

Open access
Goes, Marlos, Goni, Gustavo, Hormann, Verena, Perez, Renellys C.·2013·Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans
DOI 10.1002/jgrc.20186
Open this paper in CoChat — free accountOpen PDF

Abstract

We have developed, validated, and applied a synthetic method to monitor the off‐equatorial eastward currents in the central tropical Atlantic. This method combines high‐density expendable bathythermograph (XBT) temperature data along the AX08 transect with altimetric sea level anomalies (SLAs) to estimate dynamic height fields from which the mean properties of the North Equatorial Countercurrent (NECC), the North Equatorial Undercurrent (NEUC) and the South Equatorial Undercurrent (SEUC), and their variability can be estimated on seasonal to interannual timescales. On seasonal to interannual timescales, the synthetic method is well suited for reconstructions of the NECC variability, reproduces the variability of the NEUC with considerable skill, and less efficiently describes variations of the SEUC, which is located in a region of low SLA variability. A positive correlation is found between interannual variations of the NECC transport and two indices based on an interhemispheric sea surface temperature (SST) gradient and southeasterly wind stress in the central tropical Atlantic. The NEUC is correlated on interannual timescales with SSTs and meridional wind stress in the Gulf of Guinea and zonal equatorial wind stress. This study shows that both altimetry and XBT data can be effectively combined for near‐real‐time inference of the dynamic and thermodynamic properties of the tropical Atlantic current system.

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1002/jgrc.20186

Cites

2 of 2 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Claims the paper makes

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • Currently, there are three SOOP transects in the tropical Atlantic, each repeated approximately every 3 months; XBTs are deployed 10 to 35 km apart to measure temperature in the upper 760 m.

    “Currently, there are three transects in the tropical Atlantic, each repeated approximately every 3 months (Figure 10).XBTs are deployed 10 to 35 km apart to measure temperature in the upper 760 m, from which mesoscale eddy variability and the larger-scale ocean circulation can be deduced (Goes et al., 2013).”

    From The tropical atlantic observing system (2019) · cites this paper as Goes et al., 2013

    Section 2.1, paragraph [7] describes one tropical Atlantic XBT transect, AX08, with about four realizations per year, an average 25 km spacing between casts in the tropics, and probes with a nominal depth range of 760 m. It does not establish that there are three transects or that casts across them are spaced 10–35 km apart. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

The self-check needs the paper’s full text.

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Research works printed but not linked: 64

  1. Arnault, S., and E. Kestenare (2004), Tropical Atlantic surface current vari- ability from 10 years of TOPEX/Pos e € don altimetry, Geophys. Res. Lett., 31, L03308, doi:10.1029/2003GL019210. · DOI
  2. Arnault, S., I. Pujol, and J. L. M elice (2011), In situ validation of Jason-1 and Jason-2 altimetry missions in the tropical Atlantic Ocean, Mar. Geod., 34, 319-339, doi:10.1080/01490419.2011.584833. · DOI
  3. Athi e, G., F. Marin, A.-M. Treguier, B. Bourle `s, and C. Guiavarc'h (2009), Sensitivity of near surface tropical instability waves to sub-monthly wind forcing in the tropical Atlantic, Ocean Modell., 30, 241-255, doi:10.1016/j.ocemod.2009.06.016. · DOI · Paper page
  4. Atlas, R., R. N. Hoffman, J. Ardizzone, S. M. Leidner, J. C. Jusem, D. K. Smith, and D. Gombos (2011), A cross-calibrated, multiplatform ocean surface wind velocity product for meteorological and oceanographic applications, Bull. Am. Meteorol. Soc., 92, 157-174, doi:10.1175/ 2010BAMS2946. · DOI
  5. Barron, C. N., L. F. Smedstad, J. M. Dastugue, and O. M. Smedstad (2007), Evaluation of ocean models using observed and simulated drifter trajec- tories: Impact of sea surface height on synthetic profiles for data assimi- lation, J. Geophys. Res., 112, C07019, doi:10.1029/2006JC003982. · DOI
  6. Blunden, J., D. S. Arndt, M. O. Baringer (2011), State of the climate in 2010, Bull. Am. Meteorol. Soc., 92, S1-S236, doi:10.1175/1520-0477- 92.6.S1. Bourle `s, B., Y. Gouriou, and R. Chuchla (1999), On the circulation in the upper layer of the western equatorial Atlantic, J. Geophys. Res., 104, 21,151-21,170. · DOI
  7. Bourle `s, B., M. D'Orgeville, G. Eldin, Y. Gouriou, R. Chuchla, Y. du Pen- hoat, and S. Arnault (2002), On the evolution of the thermocline and sub- thermocline eastward currents in the equatorial Atlantic, Geophys. Res. Lett., 29(16), 1785, doi:10.1029/2002GL015098. · DOI
  8. Brandt, P., F. A. Schott, C. Provost, A. Kartavtseff, V. Hormann, B. Bourle `s, and J. Fischer (2006), Circulation in the central equatorial Atlantic: Mean and intraseasonal to seasonal variability, Geophys. Res. Lett., 33, L07609, doi:10.1029/2005GL025498. · DOI
  9. Brandt, P., V. Hormann, B. Bourle `s, J. Fischer, F. A. Schott, L. Stramma, and M. Dengler (2008), Oxygen tongues and zonal currents in the equa- torial Atlantic, J. Geophys. Res., 113, C04012, doi:10.1029/ 2007JC004435. · DOI
  10. Brandt, P., A. Funk, V. Hormann, M. Dengler, R. J. Greatbatch, and J. M. Toole (2011), Interannual atmospheric variability forced by the deep equatorial Atlantic Ocean, Nature, 473, 497-500, doi:10.1038/ nature10013. · DOI · Paper page
  11. Carton, J. A., and E. J. Katz (1990), Estimates of the zonal slope and sea- sonal transport of the Atlantic North Equatorial Countercurrent, J. Geo- phys. Res., 95, 3091-3100, doi:10.1029/JC095iC03p03091. · DOI
  12. Chang, P., et al. (2006), Climate fluctuations of tropical coupled systems- The role of ocean dynamics, J. Clim., 19, 5122-5174, doi:10.1175/ JCLI3903. · DOI
  13. Chassignet, E. P., et al. (2009), U.S. GODAE: Global Ocean Prediction with the HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM), Oceanography, 22(2), 64-75.
  14. Doi, T., T. Tozuka, H. Sasaki, Y. Masumoto, and T. Yamagata (2007), Sea- sonal and interannual variations of oceanic conditions in the Angola Dome, J. Phys. Oceanogr., 37(11), 2698-2713.
  15. uing, W., P. Hisard, E. Katz, J. Meincke, L. Miller, K. V. Moroshkin, G. Philander, A. A. Ribnikov, K. Voigt, and R. Weisberg (1975), Meanders and long waves in the equatorial Atlantic, Nature, 257, 280-284, doi:10.1038/257280a0. · DOI
  16. Elmoussaoui, A., M. Arhan, and A.-M. Tr eguier, (2005), Model-inferred upper ocean circulation in the eastern tropics of the North Atlantic, Deep Sea Res. I, 52(7), 1093-1120, doi:10.1016/j.dsr.2005.01.010. · DOI
  17. Fischer, J., V. Hormann, P. Brandt, F. A. Schott, B. Rabe, and A. Funk (2008), South Equatorial Undercurrent in the western to central tropical Atlantic, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L21601, doi:10.1029/2008GL035753. · DOI
  18. Foltz, G. R., S. A. Grodsky, and J. A. Carton (2003), Seasonal mixed layer heat budget of the tropical Atlantic Ocean, J. Geophys. Res., 108(C5), 3146, doi:10.1029/2002JC001584. · DOI · Paper page
  19. Foltz, G., J. Carton, and E. P. Chassignet (2004), Tropical instability vorti- ces in the Atlantic Ocean, J. Geophys. Res., 109, C03029, doi:10.1029/ 2003JC001942. · DOI
  20. Foltz, G. R., and M. J. McPhaden (2010), Interaction between the Atlantic meridional and Niño modes, Geophys. Res. Lett., 37, L18604, doi:10.1029/ 2010GL044001. · DOI · Paper page
  21. Foltz, G. R., M. J. McPhaden, and R. Lumpkin (2012), A strong Atlantic meridional mode event in 2009: The role of mixed layer dynamics, J. Clim., 25, 363-380, doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-11-00150. · DOI
  22. Fonseca, C., G. Goni, W. E. Johns, and E. J. D. Campos (2004), Investiga- tions of the North Brazil Current retroflection and North Equatorial Countercurrent variability, Geophys. Res. Lett., 31, L21304, doi:10.1029/2004GL020054. · DOI
  23. Gelman, A., J. B. Carlin, H. S. Stern, and D. B. Rubin (2003), Bayesian Data Analysis, 2nd ed., CRC Press, London.
  24. Gilson, J., D. Roemmich, B. Cornuelle, and L.-L. Fu (1998), Relationship of TOPEX/Poseidon altimetric height to steric height and circulation in the North Pacific, J. Geophys. Res., 103, 27,947-27,965, doi:10.1029/ 98JC01680. · DOI
  25. Goes, M., and I. Wainer (2003), Equatorial currents transport changes for extreme warm and cold events in the Atlantic Ocean, Geophys. Res. Lett., 30(5), 8006, doi:10.1029/2002GL015707. · DOI
  26. Goes, M., R. Molinari, I. C. A. Silveira, and I. Wainer (2005), Retroflec- tions of the North Brazil Current during February 2002, Deep Sea Res. I, 52, 647-667, doi:10.1016/j.dsr.2004.10.010. · DOI
  27. Goes, M., G. Goni, and K. Keller (2013), Reducing biases in XBT measure- ments by including discrete information from pressure switches, J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol., 30, 810-824, doi:10.1175/JTECH-D-12- 00126. · DOI
  28. Goni, G., and M. Baringer, (2002), Surface currents in the tropical Atlantic across the high density XBT line AX08, Geophys. Res. Lett., 29(24), 2218, doi:10.1029/2002GL015873. · DOI
  29. Goni, G., and W. E. Johns (2001), A census of North Brazil Current rings observed from TOPEX/POSEIDON altimetry: 1992-1998, Geophys. Res. Lett., 28(1), 1-4.
  30. Gourcuff, C., P. Lherminier, H. Mercier, and P.-Y. Le Traon (2011), Altim- etry combined with hydrography for ocean transport estimation, J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol., 28(10), 1324-1337.
  31. Grodsky, S. A., J. A. Carton, C. Provost, J. Servain, J. A. Lorenzzetti, and M. J. McPhaden (2005), Tropical instability waves at 0 N, 23 W in the Atlantic: A case study using Pilot Research Moored Array in the Tropi- cal Atlantic (PIRATA) mooring data, J. Geophys. Res., 110, C08010, doi:10.1029/2005JC002941. · DOI
  32. Guinehut, S., P.-Y. Le Traon, and G. Larnicol (2006), What can we learn from global altimetry/hydrography comparisons?, Geophys. Res. Lett., 33, L10604, doi:10.1029/2005GL0255551. · DOI
  33. Hormann, V., and P. Brandt (2007), Atlantic Equatorial Undercurrent and associated cold tongue variability, J. Geophys. Res., 112, C06017, doi:10.1029/2006JC003931. · DOI
  34. Hormann, V., R. Lumpkin, and G. R. Foltz (2012), Interannual North Equa- torial Countercurrent variability and its relation to tropical Atlantic climate modes, J. Geophys. Res., 117, C04035, doi:10.1029/ 2011JC007697. · DOI
  35. Hsin, Y.-C., and B. Qiu (2012), Seasonal fluctuations of the surface North Equatorial Countercurrent (NECC) across the Pacific basin, J. Geophys. Res., 117, C06001, doi:10.1029/2011JC007794. · DOI
  36. H€ uttl-Kabus, S., and C. W. Böning (2008), Pathways and variability of the off-equatorial undercurrents in the Atlantic Ocean, J. Geophys. Res., 113, C10018, doi:10.1029/2007JC004700. · DOI
  37. Johnson, R. W. (2001), An introduction to Bootstrap, Teach. Stat., 23(2), 49-54.
  38. Kirchner, K., M. Rhein, S. H€ uttl-Kabus, and C. W. Böning (2009), On the spreading of South Atlantic Water into the Northern Hemisphere, J. Geo- phys. Res., 114, C05019, doi:10.1029/2008JC005165. · DOI
  39. Kolodziejczyk, N., B. Bourle `s, F. Marin, J. Grelet, and R. Chuchla (2009), Seasonal variability of the Equatorial Undercurrent at 10 W as inferred from recent in situ observations, J. Geophys. Res., 114, C06014, doi:10.1029/2008JC004976. · DOI
  40. Le Traon P.-Y., F. Nadal, and N. Ducet (1998), An improved mapping method of multisatellite altimeter data, J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol., 15, 522-533, doi:10.1029/2005GL025551. · DOI
  41. Leuliette, E., and L. Miller (2009), Closing the sea level rise budget with al- timetry, Argo, and GRACE, Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L04608, doi:10.1029/ 2008GL036010. · DOI
  42. Locarnini, R. A., A. V. Mishonov, J. I. Antonov, T. P. Boyer, H. E. Garcia, O. K. Baranova, M. M. Zweng, and D. R. Johnson (2010), World Ocean Atlas 2009, vol. 1, Temperature, NOAA Atlas NESDIS, vol. 68, edited by S. Levitus, 184 pp., NOAA, Silver Spring, Md.
  43. Lumpkin, R., and S. L. Garzoli (2005), Near-surface circulation in the trop- ical Atlantic Ocean, Deep Sea Res. I, 52(3), 495-518.
  44. Mayer, D., R. L. Molinari, and M. O. Baringer (2001), Transition regions and their role in the relationship between sea surface height and subsur- face temperature structure in the Atlantic Ocean, Geophys. Res. Lett., 28(20), 3943-3946.
  45. McCarthy, M. C., L. D. Talley, and D. Roemmich (2000), Seasonal to inter- annual variability from expendable bathythermograph and TOPEX/Pos- eidon altimeter data in the South Pacific subtropical gyre, J. Geophys. Res., 105, 19,535-19,550, doi:10.1029/2000JC900056. · DOI
  46. Menkes, C. E., et al. (2002), A whirling ecosystem in the equatorial Atlan- tic, Geophys. Res. Lett., 29(11), 1553, doi:10.1029/2001GL014576. · DOI · Paper page
  47. Metcalf, W., and M. C. Stalcup (1967), Origin of the Atlantic Equatorial Undercurrent, J. Geophys. Res., 72(20), 4959-4975.
  48. Phillips, H. E., and S. R. Rintoul (2002), A mean synoptic view of the sub- antarctic front south of Australia, J. Phys. Oceanogr., 32(5), 1536-1553.
  49. Reverdin, G., F. Marin, B. Bourle `s and P. L'Herminier (2009), XBT tem- perature errors during French research cruises (1999-2007), J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol., 26, 2462-2473, doi:10.1175/2009JTECHO655. · DOI
  50. Richardson, P. L., S. Arnault, S. Garzoli, and J. G. Bruce (1992), Annual cycle of the Atlantic North Equatorial Countercurrent, Deep Sea Res., 39(6), 997-1014.
  51. Ridgway, K. R., and J. R. Dunn (2010), Using satellite altimetry to correct mean temperature and salinity fields derived from Argo floats in the ocean regions around Australia, Deep Sea Res. I, 57, 1137-1151, doi:10.1016/jdsr.2010.05.010. · DOI
  52. Ridgway, K. R., R. C. Coleman, R. J. Bailey, and P. Sutton (2008), Decadal variability of East Australian Current transport inferred from repeated high-density XBT transects, a CTD survey and satellite altimetry, J. Geophys. Res., 113, C08039, doi:10.1029/2007JC004664. · DOI
  53. Rintoul, S. R., S. Sokolov, and J. Church (2002), A 6 year record of baro- clinic transport variability of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current at 140 E derived from expendable bathythermograph and altimeter measurements, J. Geophys. Res., 107(C10), 3155, doi:10.1029/2001JC000787. · DOI
  54. Rio, M. H., S. Guinehut, and G. Larnicol (2011), New CNES-CLS09 global mean dynamic topography computed from the combination of GRACE data, altimetry, and in situ measurements, J. Geophys. Res., 116, C07018, doi:10.1029/2010JC006505. · DOI
  55. Schott, F. A., M. Dengler, P. Brandt, K. Affler, J. Fischer, B. Bourle `s, Y. Gouriou, R. L. Molinari, and M. Rhein (2003), The zonal currents and transports at 35 W in the tropical Atlantic, Geophys. Res. Lett., 30(7), 1349, doi:10.1029/2002GL016849. · DOI
  56. Servain, J., I. Wainer, J. P. McCreary, and A. Dessier (1999), A relationship between the equatorial and meridional modes of climatic variability in the tropical Atlantic, Geophys. Res. Lett., 26, 485-488, doi:10.1029/ 1999GL900014. · DOI · Paper page
  57. Stramma, L., S. H€ uttl, and J. Schafstall (2005), Water masses and currents in the upper tropical northeast Atlantic off northwest Africa, J. Geophys. Res., 110, C12006, doi:10.1029/2005JC002939. · DOI · Paper page
  58. Stramma, L., P. Brandt, J. Schafstall, F. Schott, J. Fischer, and A. Körtzinger (2008), Oxygen minimum zone in the North Atlantic south and east of the Cape Verde Islands, J. Geophys. Res., 113, doi:10.1029/ 2007JC004369. · DOI
  59. Sutton, R. T., and D. L. R. Hodson (2005), Atlantic Ocean forcing of North American and European summer climate, Science, 309(5731), 115-118, doi:10.1175/JCLI4038. · DOI
  60. Thacker, W. C. (2007a), Estimating salinity to complement observed temper- ature: 1. Gulf of Mexico, J. Mar. Syst., 65(1-4), 224-248, doi:10.1016/ j.jmarsys.2005.06.008. · DOI
  61. Thacker, W. C. (2007b), Estimating salinity to complement observed tem- perature: 2. Northwestern Atlantic, J. Mar. Syst., 65(1-4), 249-267, doi:10.1016/j.jmarsys.2005.06.007. · DOI
  62. Torrence, C., and G. P. Compo (1998), A practical guide to wavelet analy- sis, Bull. Am. Meteorol. Soc., 79(1), 61-78.
  63. Urbano, D. F., M. Jochum, and I. C. A. Silveira (2006), Rediscovering the second core of the Atlantic North Equatorial Countercurrent, Ocean Modell., 12, 1-15, doi:10.1016/j.ocemod.2005.04.003. · DOI
  64. Willis, J., D. P. Chambers, and R. S. Nerem (2008), Assessing the globally averaged sea level budget on seasonal and interannual timescales, J. Geophys. Res., 113, C06015, doi:10.1029/2007JC004517. · DOI

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Goes, M., Goni, G., Hormann, V., & Perez, R. C.
Affiliations
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (US)
Corresponding author
Goes, Marlos
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans
Publisher
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Published
2013-06
Volume
118
Issue
6
Pages
3026-3045
ISSN
  • 2169-9275 (ISSN-L)
  • 2169-9291
DOI
10.1002/jgrc.20186
OpenAlex
W1783901839
Cited by
16
References
2
Citations by year
2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 1 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 3
FWCI
1.18
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor, 18 d)
Locations
Journal of Geophysical Research Oceans (publishedVersion)
Funders
NOAA/AOML and NOAA's Climate Program Office
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Oceanography › Oceanographic and Atmospheric Processes
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Climate variability and models
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Oceanography › Marine and coastal ecosystems
Keywords
North Equatorial Countercurrent, sea level anomalies, interannual variability, seasonal variation, sea surface temperature gradient, wind stress, Gulf of Guinea

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review