Influence of the
Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Part
B: Hydrology, Oceans and Atmosphere, Volume 26, Issue 2,
S. Masson and P Delecluse
Summary of
Points:
·
The Amazon has the biggest flow in the world, 0.2 Sv
(1 Sv = 106 m3/s), and is
responsible for a large part of the low Sea Surface Salinity (SSS) in the west
tropical Atlantic ocean.
·
Comparison
of simulations with constant or monthly runoffs shows that the spread of the
Amazon fresh waters offshore of the north Brazilian coast is controlled by the
ocean circulation and not by the Amazon flow.
·
In
the model like on the observations, SSS minimum is observed in summer three
months after the Amazon flood.
·
A
thick (more than 40 m) Barrier Layer (BL) is present every summer north of the
Amazon mouth.
·
Because
of the strong and shallow salinity gradient associated with the Amazon
freshwater, an important part of the solar radiation is trapped in the BL and creates
an inversion of the vertical gradient of temperature. Freshwater flux is also able to bend the sea
surface. The geostrophic part of the North Brazilian
Current (NBC) retroflection is then lightly weaker in
presence of the Amazon runoff.
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