A comparison of the circulation patterns over the Southwestern Atlantic Shelf driven by different wind stress climatologies

Abstract

We compare the oceanic circulation patterns over the Southwestern Atlantic Shelf (SWAS) forced by nine different wind stress climatologies. The largest differences are observed in experiments forced with the Hellerman and Rosenstein [1983, hereafter HR83] and Trenberth et al. [1990, hereafter TR90] winds. HR83 shows a general northeastward flow near the shelf break. The TR90 results shows a bifurcating path south of ∼40°S and a poleward flow north of 35°S. The most robust circulation patterns are a broad northward flow and the generation of coastal re-circulation cells in southern Patagonia and the development of a southward jet in the inner portion of the South Brazil Bight. Copyright 2004 by the American Geophysical Union.