Studies of the intermediate and deep circulation in the western equatorial Atlantic

This proposal concerns the preparation and design of an experiment, the objective of which is to improve our knowledge of the intermediate and deep circulation in the western equatorial Atlantic Ocean. We shall focus on the description of the western boundary currents, of their crossing with the equator, on the estimation of their mass and heat fluxes, and their seasonal and interannual variations. We will use satellite altimetric data, tomographic measurements, and in situ observations (current measurements, hydrology, and floaters). We propose a feasibility study and the definition of a strategy based on a high-resolution Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) numerical model to define which in situ measurements are necessary to optimally complete the altimetric observations.