Andrié Chantal auteur aut IRD Ternon Jean-François auteur aut IRD Bourlès Bernard auteur aut IRD Gouriou Yves auteur aut IRD Oudot Claude auteur aut IRD text journalArticle eng text/pdf reformatted digital access The paper prestents CFC and nontransient tracer observations in the western equatorial Atlantic Ocean on repeated sections along 7°30°N, the 35°W meridian, and a transect crossing the Ceara Rise. Three World Ocean Circulation Experiment cruises have been carried out in this area, in February-March 1993 (CITHER 1) and September-October 1995 and April-May 1996 (ETAMBOT 1 and 2). Together with the tracer data, the direct current measurements are used to deduce the circulation pathways. The data confirm the principal circulation features of the Upper North Atlantic Deep Water within the area. The Deep Western Boundary Current flows southward to the DWBC reciruclation whose origin appears variable. The largest variability is observed along the 35°W meridional section, where the DWBC bifurcates eastward north of the 3°S but the eastward equatorial flow does not appear to be permanent. At the Middle North Atlantic Deep Water level, CFC distributions exhibit the most important contrast between waters of northern and southern origin. The circulation at the Lower North Atlantic Deep Water level, mainly controlled by topography, looks more permanent because the DBC is regularly observed during the three cruises, and there is no evidence for a northwestward recirculation along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The transient behavior of CFC distributions, which is superimposed on local circulation effects, can be seen clearly through their temporal evolution wihtin the DWBC. The variability of the deep circulation observed during the 1993-1996 interval rules out a dominant variability in response to semi annual forcing. (Résumé d'auteur) specialized COURANT MARIN CIRCULATION PROFONDE MASSE D'EAU COMPOSE ORGANOCHLORE GAZ DISSOUS DISTRIBUTION SPATIALE BATHYMETRIE VARIATION SAISONNIERE BASSIN OCEANIQUE TOPOGRAPHIE PROFIL VERTICAL CORRELATION SALINITE OXYGENE DISSOUS TEMPERATURE ANALYSE PHYSICOCHIMIQUE SILICATE DYNAMIQUE DE L'EAU TRACEUR OCEANIQUE ATLANTIQUE EQUATORIAL 032DYNEAU 104 C9 21,195-21,215 1999 0148-0227 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010023732 10.1029/1999JC900094 0148-0227 [F B010023732] https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010023732 https://horizon.documentation.ird.fr/exl-doc/pleins_textes/pleins_textes_7/b_fdi_57-58/010023732.pdf IRD - Base Horizon / Pleins textes 2001-01-18 2021-05-20 fdi:010023732 fre