Subproject 1 (SP 1): Connectivity of the southeast Atlantic coastal upwelling system to the equatorial current system

SP 1 investigates the variability of the eastern boundary current at about 11°S. The main focus is on the forcing of current and water mass variability from in the equatorial region. Three cruises are planned in close cooperation with SP 1 and SP 3).

Goals:

• Installation of an eastern boundary mooring array at about 11°S, aimed at monitoring the southward transport of warm and salty anomalies from the equatorial region toward the SACUS. It is planned to deploy three moorings at this latitude, measuring hydrographic data, oxygen and currents (cruises together with SP 2 and SP 3)
  
  
• Analysis of current and hydrographic time series from equatorial moorings at 23°W (part of BMBF NORDATLANTIK and SFB754) as well as 10°W and 0° (part of PIRATA, PI Bourles, IRD and EUC-TACE, PI Johns, RSMAS, Miami) with respect to signal propagation eastward along the equator and southward along the coast off southern Africa. Previously obtained multi-year time series at the equator will be continued through different programs. They represent an ideal data set to analyse the remote forcing of variability in SACUS (cooperation with SP 2)
  
  
• Derive transport time series for the validation of high-resolution (SP 2) and climate models (SP 4)
  
  
• SP 1 includes funding for the organization of a joint summer/winter school as well as for the participation of the capacity building cruise end-2013.
  
  

Team:

PIs:
Prof. Dr. P. Brandt , GEOMAR Kiel, Germany
Prof. Dr. Torsten Kanzow, AWI Bremerhaven, Germany
Prof. Dr. M. Visbeck, GEOMAR Kiel, Germany

Staff:
Dr. W. Rath, GEOMAR Kiel, Germany

associated Staff:
Dr. M. Dengler, GEOMAR Kiel, Germany
M. Sc. R. Kopte, GEOMAR Kiel, Germany