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Investigating the seasonal and interannual variability of the poleward undercurrent in the northern Benguela system

Includes bibliographical references.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Yates, Sarah Elizabeth
Other Authors: Rouault, Mathieu
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Department of Oceanography 2014
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access_status_str Open Access
author Yates, Sarah Elizabeth
author2 Rouault, Mathieu
author_browse Rouault, Mathieu
Yates, Sarah Elizabeth
author_facet Rouault, Mathieu
Yates, Sarah Elizabeth
author_sort Yates, Sarah Elizabeth
collection Thesis
description Includes bibliographical references.
format Thesis
id oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/9808
institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:46:03.571Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2014
publishDateRange 2014
publishDateSort 2014
publisher Department of Oceanography
publisherStr Department of Oceanography
record_format dspace
source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/9808 Investigating the seasonal and interannual variability of the poleward undercurrent in the northern Benguela system Yates, Sarah Elizabeth Rouault, Mathieu Veitch, Jennifer Anne Includes bibliographical references. The Benguela Current System is unique as both the equatorward and poleward boundaries are warm water current systems. Between 15° S – 37° S the surface currents are generally equatorwards, with 7 distinct upwelling cells, narrow equatorward shelf-edge jets and a poleward undercurrent along the continental slope. Model data was used to determine the seasonal and interannual variability of the poleward undercurrent (PUC) in the northern Benguela system. The PUC is the southward extension of the Angolan Current that carries low oxygen water (LOW) originating from the Angola Dome. The LOW flows from the Angolan region southwards in the Benguela system. The focus of the study is on the PUC associated with the Sverdrup relation. The model ORCA-025 was used to reproduce zonal transects from 17° S to 30° S to determine the changing characteristics of the PUC with latitude as well as seasonal and interannual variability of this current. The PUC is faster moving in the north (~17° S) and decreases in velocity moving south (~30° S). The PUC is shallower in the north increasing in depth in the south. The model data shows the velocity of the PUC has a seasonal cycle that is faster in the austral summer and autumn and weakens in the winter. The transport of the PUC is amplified during austral winter and spring, which is consistent with the increased negative wind stress curl during those seasons. The wind stress curl in the region exhibits a strong connection with the transport of the PUC via the Sverdrup relation. The PUC exhibits interannual variability when comparing to the Benguela Niño events, but does not show a correlation with El Niño Southern Oscillation. 2014-11-28T09:55:09Z 2014-11-28T09:55:09Z 2012 Master Thesis Masters MSc http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9808 eng application/pdf Department of Oceanography Faculty of Science University of Cape Town
spellingShingle Yates, Sarah Elizabeth
Investigating the seasonal and interannual variability of the poleward undercurrent in the northern Benguela system
thesis_degree_str Master's
title Investigating the seasonal and interannual variability of the poleward undercurrent in the northern Benguela system
title_full Investigating the seasonal and interannual variability of the poleward undercurrent in the northern Benguela system
title_fullStr Investigating the seasonal and interannual variability of the poleward undercurrent in the northern Benguela system
title_full_unstemmed Investigating the seasonal and interannual variability of the poleward undercurrent in the northern Benguela system
title_short Investigating the seasonal and interannual variability of the poleward undercurrent in the northern Benguela system
title_sort investigating the seasonal and interannual variability of the poleward undercurrent in the northern benguela system
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9808
work_keys_str_mv AT yatessarahelizabeth investigatingtheseasonalandinterannualvariabilityofthepolewardundercurrentinthenorthernbenguelasystem