Abstract

Abstract The circulation induced by the wind and the North Brazil Undercurrent (NBU) in and surrounding the Japaratuba submarine canyon on the continental shelf of the basin of Sergipe and Alagoas is described using numerical modeling. The numerical simulations were implemented to determine the canyon influence in the local hydrodynamics and in the volume flow normal to the coast, considering several different scenarios, including a homogeneous and stratified fields of temperature and salinity. Northeast and East winds favor an upward flow in the canyon, while Southeast and South winds privilege subsidence. Winds parallel to the coast cause greater volume flow in the canyon section: 40° winds (relative to true the North, parallel to the coast) caused the highest upward flow, while winds from 215° to 220° caused the highest subsidence. On the other hand, the NBU favors subsidence motion and seems to predominate over the wind forcing.

Highlights

  • Sergipe and Alagoas are two states located in the northeast Brazil region bathed by the Atlantic Ocean at relatively low latitudes, between 9oS and 11o30’S (Figure 1)

  • Their continental shelf (SEALCS) extends for 370 km, with an orientation of approximately 40o clockwise relative to the geographic North, and is a narrow region, with a width varying from 18 km in the south, to 42 km, in front of Maceio (Coutinho, 1976; Summerhayes et al, 1976)

  • The present work has shown that the topography of the region affects the circulation of the region and the volume flow between the open ocean and the continental shelf

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Summary

Introduction

Sergipe and Alagoas are two states located in the northeast Brazil region bathed by the Atlantic Ocean at relatively low latitudes, between 9oS and 11o30’S (Figure 1). Their continental shelf (SEALCS) extends for 370 km, with an orientation of approximately 40o clockwise relative to the geographic North, and is a narrow region, with a width varying from 18 km in the south, to 42 km, in front of Maceio (Coutinho, 1976; Summerhayes et al, 1976).

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