Volume Transports In The Upper Layer West Of Cape São Vicente, Sw Portugal

No abstracts are to be cited without prior reference to the author.

Off the Iberian eastern boundary distinct winter and summer oceanographic regimes are governed by meridional displacements of the Azores High. Poleward flow at all depths features the winter situation whereas in summer a cool equatorward jet develops as geostrophic response of the upper ocean to northerly upwelling favourable winds, while deeper waters still flow poleward. Part of the flow turns eastward around Cape São Vicente to satisfy the potential vorticity conservation. The boundary discontinuity forces part of the equatorward jet to feed a major filament that stretches from the Cape. Filaments are relevant features in the exchange between the cold, upwelled and nutrient-rich coastal and offshore waters. Estimations of 2D open ocean-equatorward jet exchanges are essential for the understanding of biologically related physical processes over the shelf area. Additionally vertical forcing associated with frontal convergence and the meandering of a quasi-geostrophically adjusted upwelling jet embedded in an eddy field play a key role upon the patchy distribution of pelagic biota. In the present work the summer transport of the equatorward cold jet is estimated from historical hydrographic data. A 3D description of volume transports in the upper layer off southwestern Iberia is attempted.