South Atlantic Gyre

Short description: Subtropical gyre in the south Atlantic Ocean

The South Atlantic Gyre (1943)

The worlds oceans currents and gyres based on a "dolphins perspective" with flowing direction
red = warm, blue = cold

The South Atlantic Gyre is the subtropical gyre in the south Atlantic Ocean. In the southern portion of the gyre, northwesterly (or southeastward-flowing) winds drive eastward-flowing currents that are difficult to distinguish from the northern boundary of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current.[1] Like other oceanic gyres, it collects vast amounts of floating debris as a garbage patch.[2]

## Contents

* 1 Southern boundary
* 2 Western boundary
* 3 See also
* 4 References
* 5 External links

## Southern boundary

Main page: Earth:Antarctic Circumpolar Current

South of this gyre is the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. This current flows from West to East around Antarctica. Another name for this current is the West Wind Drift. This current allows Antarctica to maintain its huge ice sheet by keeping warm ocean waters away. At approximately 125 Sv, this current is the largest ocean current.[3]

## Western boundary

Main page: Earth:Brazil Current

A tristan thrush on Inaccessible Island, strewn with oceanic trash.

The Brazil Current is the western boundary current of the gyre. It flows south along the Brazilian coast to the Rio de la Plata. The current is considerably weaker than its North Atlantic counterpart, the Gulf Stream.[4]

## See also

* Ocean current
* Ocean gyre
* Volta do mar

## References

1. ↑ Guhin, S.; Ray, P.; Mariano, A. J.; Ryan, E. H. (2003). "The South Atlantic Current". Ocean Surface Currents. http://oceancurrents.rsmas.miami.edu/atlantic/south-atlantic.html. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
2. ↑ "National Geographic Endeavour: At Sea, South Atlantic Gyre (March 18, 2004)". Daily Expedition Report. Lindblad Expeditions - National Geographic. http://www.expeditions.com/daily-expedition-reports/140300/ocean-voyages/. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
3. ↑ Smith, R.; Desflots, M.; White, S.; Mariano, A. J.; Ryan, E. H. (2013). "The Antarctic Circumpolar Current". Ocean Surface Currents. http://oceancurrents.rsmas.miami.edu/southern/antarctic-cp.html. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
4. ↑ Bischof, B.; Rowe, E.; Mariano, A. J.; Ryan, E. H. (2004). "The Brazil Current". Ocean Surface Currents. http://oceancurrents.rsmas.miami.edu/atlantic/brazil.html. Retrieved 21 October 2009.

## External links

* Ocean currents (rsmas.miami.edu)
* Ocean currents (nasa.gov)

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Ocean currents and gyres

Currents|

| Arctic Ocean|

* East Greenland
* North Icelandic
* Norwegian
* Transpolar Drift Stream

|

Atlantic Ocean|

* Angola
* Antilles
* Azores
* Baffin Island
* Benguela
* Brazil
* Canary
* Cape Horn
* Caribbean
* East Greenland
* East Iceland
* Falkland
* Florida
* Guinea
* Gulf Stream
* Irminger
* Labrador
* Lomonosov
* Loop
* North Atlantic
* North Brazil
* North Equatorial
* Norwegian
* Portugal
* Slope Jet
* South Atlantic
* South Equatorial
* West Greenland
* West Spitsbergen

Indian Ocean|

* Agulhas
* Agulhas Return
* East Madagascar
* Equatorial Counter
* Indian Monsoon
* Indonesian Throughflow
* Leeuwin
* Madagascar
* Mozambique
* North Madagascar
* Somali
* South Australian
* South Equatorial
* West Australian

Pacific Ocean|

* Alaska
* Aleutian
* California
* Cromwell
* Davidson
* East Australian
* East Korea Warm
* Equatorial Counter
* Humboldt
* Indonesian Throughflow
* Kamchatka
* Kuroshio
* Mindanao
* North Equatorial
* North Korea Cold
* North Pacific
* Oyashio
* South Equatorial
* Tasman Front

Southern Ocean|

* Antarctic Circumpolar
* Tasman Outflow

Gyres|

| Major gyres|

* Indian Ocean Gyre
* North Atlantic Gyre
* South Atlantic Gyre
* North Pacific Gyre
* South Pacific Gyre

|

Other gyres|

* Beaufort Gyre
* Ross Gyre
* Weddell Gyre

Related|

* Atmospheric circulation
* Boundary current
* Coriolis force
* Ekman transport
* Marine debris
* Marine garbage patches
* Great Pacific
* Indian Ocean
* North Atlantic
* South Pacific
* Thermohaline circulation

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