Upwelling processes along the South Equatorial Current bifurcation region and the Salvador Canyon (13°S), Brazil

Abstract

Upwelling and uplift events from 2008 to 2012 were analyzed at the South Equatorial Current bifurcation region and in the Salvador Canyon near 13°S. Wind data from Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) were used to complement the results of a high-resolution regional ocean model. Upwelling and uplift events occurred predominantly during spring and summer. Previous studies have suggested upwelling implications for fisheries and fish diversity in the region. Uplift events were, on average, longer than upwelling events. Spatially, the strongest events were found over the adjacent shelf of Todos os Santos Bay and Salvador Canyon. This was also the region with the most frequent events. Analysis of forcing mechanisms revealed that wind-driven upwelling, mainly due to upward Ekman pumping, is dominant, with current-driven upwelling providing an additional contribution. Connectivity between Salvador Canyon and Todos os Santos Bay upwelling processes was observed in 20 events, preferentially during the austral summer. This connectivity was linked to a northward coastal undercurrent, which, in turn, advected upwelled/uplifted water from the canyon to the bay-adjacent shelf area. Connectivity occurred under two conditions: i) intense canyon upwelling and ii) low influence of the Brazil Current flow on the shelf. The results of this study demonstrate that wind-driven upwelling contributes directly to the connectivity phenomenon, whereas Brazil Current encroachment inhibits this process. Hence, the results shown herein are widely applicable to upwelling regions under the influence of Western Boundary Currents and/or submarine canyons where upwelling may occur.