@article{fdi:010063511,
  title = {{M}ean meridional currents in the central and eastern equatorial {A}tlantic},
  author = {{P}erez, {R}. {C}. and {H}ormann, {V}. and {L}umpkin, {R}. and {B}randt, {P}. and {J}ohns, {W}. {E}. and {H}ernandez, {F}abrice and {S}chmid, {C}. and {B}ourl{\`e}s, {B}ernard},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{S}hip-based acoustic {D}oppler current profiler ({ADCP}) velocity measurements collected by several major field programs in the tropical {A}tlantic are averaged and combined with estimates of the mean near-surface velocity derived from drifters and {A}rgo float surface drifts ({ADCP}+{D}) to describe the mean cross-equatorial and vertical structure of the meridional currents along 23 degrees {W} and 10 degrees {W}. {D}ata from moored {ADCP}s and fixed-depth current meters, a satellite-derived velocity product, and a global ocean reanalysis were additionally used to evaluate the mean {ADCP}+{D} meridional velocity. {T}he dominant circulation features in the long-term mean {ADCP}+{D} meridional velocity in the upper 100 m are the tropical cells ({TC}s) located approximately between 5 degrees {S} and 5 degrees {N}, with near-surface poleward flow and subsurface equatorward flow that is stronger and shallower in the northern cell compared to the southern cell. {T}he thickness of the surface limb of the {TC}s decreases and the northern cell is found to shift further south of the equator from the central to eastern tropical {A}tlantic. {A}nalysis of two-season means estimated from the ship-based {ADCP}, near-surface drift, and moored velocity data, as well as the simulated fields, indicates that the maximum poleward velocity in the surface limb of the {TC}s intensifies during {D}ecember-{M}ay along 23 degrees {W} largely due to seasonal compensation between the geostrophic and ageostrophic (or wind-driven) components of the meridional velocity, whereas the maximum equatorward flow in the subsurface limb of the northern cell intensifies during {J}une-{N}ovember along both 23 degrees {W} and 10 degrees {W} due to the seasonality of the geostrophic meridional velocity.},
  keywords = {{T}ropical {A}tlantic ; {M}eridional currents ; {T}ropical cells ; {ATLANTIQUE} ; {ATLANTIQUE} {EST} ; {ATLANTIQUE} {CENTRE} ; {ZONE} {TROPICALE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{C}limate {D}ynamics},
  volume = {43},
  numero = {11},
  pages = {2943--2962},
  ISSN = {0930-7575},
  year = {2014},
  DOI = {10.1007/s00382-013-1968-5},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010063511},
}