Equatorial subthermocline currents: observations and models

University Of Hawaii, Honolulu

Investigators

Abstract

Near the equator, in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, a complex patterns of eastward and westward currents alternate with latitude and in the vertical. This complex pattern of currents has not been well-described by theory or numerical models in the past. In this proposal, existing observations will be reanalyzed to test new theoretical ideas and to compare with high resolution general circulation models. The ultimate goals of this project are to understand the dynamics of this circulation, to understand its role in the global ocean circulation and to model the circulation and its variability.