A synthesis of the first GARP Globa Experiment (FGGE) in the equatorial Atlantic Ocean

A synthesis of near-surface oceanographic and surface meteorological data collected during the First GARP Global Experiment, FGGE, is presented to portray the oceanic response to the seasonal wind forcing for the period December 1978 to November 1979, inclusive. Major wind events during FGGE are in phase with events given in climatology. In particular, the February–March–April relaxation and May enhancement of equatorial winds occurs within one month of the mean event. Accordingly, the oceanic responses, such as the May, June, July appearance of an equatorial cold water tongue, the acceleration of the South Equatorial Current (SEC) and the vertical displacement of the equatorial thermocline occur at the average time. Furthermore, the curl distribution in the vicinity of the North Equatorial Countercurrent (NECC) during 1979 is similar to the climatological distribution in terms of phase and amplitude, except for a westward displacement in the position of the maximum curl. As predicted from linear theory, the 1979 thermocline response across the NECC is in phase with the climatological response with a westward displacement of the maximum thermocline movement. Deeper than average equatorial thermoclines and a weaker SEC may, in part, be responsible for the anomalously warm sea-surface temperatures observed on the equator between 10°W and 30°W from June to November.     

台风期间浮标和潜标上ADCP的空间变化、数据误差及校正#br#

基于南海北部浮标和潜标的声学多普勒流速剖面仪（ADCP）数据,通过一套几何算法计算了台风海鸥（1415）期间ADCP的空间变化和流速误差,并进行数据校正。浮标上,台风过后ADCP的水平位移最大可达2.61 km,水平流速误差最大可达0.27 m/s,垂向流速误差最大仅为5×10^-4 m/s;温跃层流速校正值在台风过后显著大于流速测值,这表明水平校正对于温跃层流速的质量控制很重要。潜标上,ADCP最大垂向位移增量为179 m,最大绳子倾角为35°,最大水平位移为1.5 km; ADCP水平流速误差和倾角误差都很小,在数据校正中可忽略不计,但对台风过后中层流速的垂向校正不能忽略。     

南海东北部C型内孤立波的观测与分析

基于布放在南海东北部陆坡海域的5套潜标观测到的内孤立波波列数据和孤立波扰动KdV(PKdV)理论,研究内孤立波在趋浅陆架上的传播特征。得出如下结果:1)观测到的内孤立波属于C型内孤立波,即平均重现周期为(23.41±0.31)h。2)内孤立波在西传爬坡过程中,其振幅表现为先增大后减小再增大,与该海域温跃层深度的变化趋势一致;由观测数据和理论计算得到的孤立波振幅增长率(SAGR)数值接近,表明该海域的内孤立波的振幅变化可以采用由孤立波PKdV方程导出的趋浅温跃层理论来描述。3)随着水深变浅,内孤立波传播方向向北偏移,传播速度减小,即在A,B和D站位,传播方向分别为279°,296°和301°,偏转角度达22°;传播速度分别为2.36,2.23和1.47 m/s,减小38%。     

Kinematic elements of Antarctic Intermediate Water in the western South Atlantic

The northward flowing Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) is a major contributor to the large-scale meridional circulation of water masses in the Atlantic. Together with bottom and thermocline water, AAIW replaces North Atlantic Deep Water that penetrates into the South Atlantic from the North. On the northbound propagation of AAIW from its formation area in the south-western region of the Argentine Basin, the AAIW progresses through a complex spreading pattern at the base of the main thermocline. This paper presents trajectories of 75 subsurface floats, seeded at AAIW depth. The floats were acoustically tracked, covering a period from December 1992 to October 1996. Discussions of selected trajectories focus on mesoscale kinematic elements that contribute to the spreading of AAIW. In the equatorial region, intermittent westward and eastward currents were observed, suggesting a seasonal cycle of the AAIW flow direction. At tropical latitudes, just offshore the intermediate western boundary current, the southward advection of an anticyclonic eddy was observed between 5^°S and 11°S. Farther offshore, the flow lacks an advective pattern and is governed by eddy diffusion. The westward subtropical gyre return current at about 28°S shows considerable stability, with the mean kinetic energy to eddy kinetic energy ratio being around one. Farther south, the eastward deeper South Atlantic Current is dominated by large-scale meanders with particle velocities in excess of 60 cm s^-1. At the Brazil–Falkland Current Confluence Zone, a cyclonic eddy near 40°S 50°W seems to act as injector of freshly mixed AAIW into the subtropical gyre. In general, much of the mixing of the various blends of AAIW is due to the activity of mesoscale eddies, which frequently reoccupy similar positions.     

Water mass seasonal variability in the Galápagos Archipelago

Three hydrographic surveys were conducted within the Galápagos Archipelago during 2005–2006. The surveys captured the surface properties (<80 m) near the extremes and midpoint of the annual cycle of the mean sea surface temperature (SST) and winds. A cooler SST occurs in boreal summer and fall as the southeast trades strengthen. Current data at 110°W show that this coincides with the Equatorial Undercurrent (EUC) becoming weaker and deeper below a strengthening westward South Equatorial Current (SEC). Opposite conditions are generally found in the spring. Meanwhile, the sea surface salinity (SSS) freshens in late winter/spring when the archipelago receives large rainfalls as the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) shifts southward, or in late fall when receiving large influxes from the North Equatorial Countercurrent (NECC). As a result, Tropical Surface Waters (TSW) with salinity (S) <34 fill the archipelago from the late fall through early spring. The SSS becomes saltiest in late spring/early summer as the EUC strengthens, resulting in Equatorial Surface Waters (ESW), S>34, throughout the archipelago. Equatorial Surface Waters are present west of Isabela, where the EUC upwells as it interacts with the Galápagos platform. They also are found east of the archipelago in the cold tongue, which extends westward from South America, and therefore may be advected by the SEC into the archipelago. The upwelling west of Isabela creates a consistently shallow 20 °C isotherm (thermocline), which remains elevated across the archipelago. Linear extrapolation of the thermocline depth along the equator from 110 to 95°W gives a good approximation of the thermocline depth within the archipelago from 92 to 89°W.     

Interannual variability in the Mindanao Eddy and its impact on thermohaline structure pattern

The major feature,interannual variability and variation cause of the Mindanao Eddy and its impact on the thermohaline structure are analyzed based on the Argo profiling float data,the history observed data and the SODA data.The analysis results show that the Mindanao Eddy is a permanent cyclonic meso-scale eddy and spreads vertically from about 500 m depth upward do about 50 m depth.In addition to its strong seasonal variability,the Mindanao Eddy displays a remarkable interannual variability associated with ENSO.It strengthens and expands eastward during El Nin o while it weakens and retreats westward during La Nin a.The interannual variability in the Mindanao Eddy may be caused by the North Equatorial Counter Current,the North Equatorial Current,the Mindanao Current and the Indonesian Through Flow.The eddy variability can have a great influence on the thermohaline structure pattern in the local upper ocean.When the eddy is strong,the cold and low salinity water inside the eddy moves violently upward from deep layer,the thermocline depth greatly shoals,and the subsurface high salinity water largely decreases,with the upper mixed layer becoming thinner,and vice versa.     

入侵南海的黑潮流套及其脱落涡旋

将2003年、2004年和2005年秋、冬季在吕宋海峡投放的卫星跟踪漂流浮标(Argos)资料用于分析黑潮通过吕宋海峡时的流型。结果表明,秋、冬季黑潮表层流存在3种类型:北向型、西向型和流套-涡旋型,后两种入侵南海。统计分析指出吕宋海峡表层流进入流套-涡旋型路径的概率为0.23,黑潮流套的纬向尺度最大达210km,仅发生在恒春海脊西侧的台湾岛西南海域。黑潮流套仅是黑潮流分离的一部分,而非黑潮整体蛇形入侵南海,这与墨西哥湾的蛇形流不一样。在流套内西向流速大于东向流速,这可能是流套西向发展的原因之一,黑潮流套常可演变成脱落涡旋,也可能就地消亡。脱落涡旋以约10cm/s速度西移。     

Thermohaline intrusions in the thermocline of the western tropical Pacific Ocean

The existing high-resolution hydrographic data in the western tropical Pacilit; Ocean are used to explore the spatial distribution and primary characteristics of thermohaline intrusions in the thermocline. Statistics show that the vertical scales of intrusions are 20-40 m in the upper thermocline （22.0-26.0δ0） and 40-80 m in the lower thermocline （26.0-27.2δ0）. In the upper thermocline, the most intensive intrusions exist at the equatorial front （EF） where north/sonth Pacilic water masses converge, anti Ihe westward spreading of the north Pacilic tropical waler （NPTW） in the Philippines Sea also produces patches of intrusions surrounding its high-salinity tongue. In the lower thermocline, intrusions are also strong at the tropical front （TF） which is the boundary between the north Pacilic subtropical/tropical waters. At the bottom of the thermocline （at about 27.0δ0）, intrusions mainly exist near the western boundary, which are produced by intermediate water convergence through the advection of subthermocline western boundary Ilows. Most strikingly a ＂C＂-shape distribution of intrusions at around 26.4δ0 is revealed, covering the vicinity of the EF the TE and the Mindanao Current （MC）, i.e., tile western boundary pathway ol the norlh Pacilic subtrnpical cell （STC）. Synoptic section analysis reveals that intrusions are more prominent on the warm/sally flank ot the fronts, implying more cross-front tongues of cold/fresh water. Among the intrusions, those at the EF are of best lateral coherence which implies a unique driving mechanism involving near-inertial velocity perturbations near the equator.     

ENSO相联系的热带太平洋上层海洋异常环流

本文使用SODA(simple ocean data assimilation)海洋同化资料,系统分析了厄尔尼诺-南方涛动(El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation,ENSO)循环中冷暖位相期间热带太平洋上层海洋环流的演变规律,探讨了形成海洋环流异常的新机制。结果表明,在厄尔尼诺成熟期,热带中东太平洋赤道潜流最弱,赤道两侧出现反气旋性环流异常;西太平洋赤道外热带海域出现气旋性环流异常,该区南、北赤道流、棉兰老流、黑潮、新几内亚沿岸潜流及南赤道逆流增强;北赤道逆流区出现异常气旋性环流串,北赤道逆流接近正常。在厄尔尼诺衰退期和拉尼娜发展期,热带中西太平洋赤道潜流达到极强,赤道两侧出现气旋性环流异常;西太平洋赤道外热带海域异常环流减弱,该处主要流场的强度减弱或处于正常状态;北赤道逆流区反转为异常西向流。结果表明, ENSO循环期间的上层海洋环流异常受到热带太平洋温跃层深度异常产生的压强梯度力异常调控,在赤道外热带海洋温跃层深度异常和科里奥利力共同作用产生大尺度海洋环流异常,而在赤道海域,海洋温跃层深度异常和Gill效应造成赤道潜流异常以及关于赤道对称的气旋或反气旋性环流异常。     

东海南部陆架水体2011年夏季温盐结构及其对台湾暖流和黑潮入侵的指示

利用2011年7月5个断面共30个站位的温盐深（CTD）测量资料,分析东海南部陆架水体的温盐结构和温跃层特征,探讨黑潮和台湾暖流对东海陆架水文状况的影响。结果显示,本区广泛存在着浅部温跃层和深部温跃层。浅部温跃层分布于20 m水深以内,跃层强度普遍较弱,具有明显的日内生消变化。深部温跃层分布于中、外陆架和台湾海峡。在中、外陆架的深水区,跃层底界深度约80 m,跃层厚度约10 m;跃层强度大,约为0.8 ℃/m,且较为稳定。在台湾海峡北部,温跃层分布于水深14～30 m,跃层厚度6～10 m,跃层强度偏弱,为0.2～0.5 ℃/m。在温跃层附近,由于上、下层水团温度、盐度的差异,其混合过程常出现盐指现象。在东海陆架90～110 m等深线之间,深部温跃层之下盘踞着一个深层冷水团,水温为16.8～17.6 ℃。黑潮水的入侵,使得外陆架温跃层强度减弱至0.2～0.5 ℃/m;同时,跃层层位上升,厚度加大。温跃层强度可以作为指示黑潮入侵的灵敏指标。当夏季深部温跃层强度低于0.6 ℃/m,同时伴随跃层厚度加大时,可判别为黑潮入侵。本区夏季黑潮锋可以到达110 m等深线附近。在中陆架50～80 m等深线之间,深部温跃层的消失,说明台湾暖流的强烈影响遍及整个水柱;而从南向北,台湾暖流的影响逐渐减弱。台湾海峡北部深层水温度较低,平均值为22.52 ℃,要比东海南部中陆架深层水低3 ℃,这可能意味着台湾暖流深层水主要源于黑潮分支的加入。     

南黄海西部2007年4月的逆温跃层

利用南黄海西部2007-04的温盐实测资料,采用海洋层结谱表达法及自适应识别,得到逆温跃层的"五点三要素",形成强度要素平面分布图.分析表明,逆温跃层的存在与黄海暖流水有直接的关系:1)4月份,黄海暖流水受到的海面冷却仍是产生逆温跃层的普遍原因,在该海区黄海暖流向北延伸和向两侧拓展的区域都有该种类型的逆温跃层存在,位置相对较浅;2)但在偏南的黄海暖流主干区,海面冷却产生的效应被主流区的热量补充所抵消,逆温跃层很弱甚至消失,这是该月份逆温跃层分布区向北退缩并在南部中心附近呈现缺失区的主要原因;3)南下的鲁北沿岸流水的冷水叠加在黄海暖流水的暖水上方,使逆温跃层加强,使得冷暖水的作用区成为强逆温跃层区;4)黄海暖流左侧冷沿岸流水及右侧冷水的前端向黄海暖流楔入,其前端往往覆盖在底层高温高盐的黄海暖流水上方形成下逆温跃层,从而形成双逆温跃层.这些特点,较以前认知更加客观、全面、细致和准确.     

Decadal variability in an OGCM Southern Ocean: Intrinsic modes,forced modes and metastable states

An ocean general circulation model (OGCM) is used to identify a Southern Ocean southeast Pacific intrinsic mode of low frequency variability. Using CORE data a comprehensive suite of experiments were carried out to elucidate excitation and amplification responses of this intrinsic mode to low frequency forcing (ENSO, SAM) and stochastic forcing due to high frequency winds. Subsurface anomalies were found to teleconnect the Pacific and Atlantic regions of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) thermocline. The Pacific region of the ACC is characterised by intrinsic baroclinic disturbances that respond to both SAM and ENSO, while the Atlantic sector of the ACC is sensitive to higher frequency winds that act to amplify thermocline anomalies propagating downstream from the Pacific. Non-stationary cluster analysis was used to identify the system’s dynamical regimes and characterise meta-stability, persistence and transitions between the respective states. This analysis reveals significant trends, indicating fundamental changes to the meta-stability of the ocean dynamics in response to changes in atmospheric forcing. Intrinsic variability in sea-ice concentration was found to be coupled to thermocline processes. Sea-ice variability localised in the Atlantic was most closely associated with high frequency weather forcing. The SAM was associated with a circumpolar sea-ice response whereas ENSO was found to be a major driver of sea-ice variability only in the Pacific. This simulation study identifies plausible mechanisms that determine the predictability of the Southern Ocean climate on multi-decadal timescales.     

基于ROMS模型数值研究南海温跃层的季节变化

On the basis of the regional ocean modeling system （ROMS）, the seasonal variations of the thermocline in the South China Sea （SCS） were numerically investigated. The simulated hydrodynamics are in accordance with previous studies： the circulation pattern in the SCS is cyclonic in winter and anticyclonic in summer, and such a change is mostly driven by the monsoon winds. The errors between the modeled temperature profiles and the observations obtained by cruises are quite small in the upper layers of the ocean, indicating that the ocean status is reasonably simulated. On the basis of the shapes of the vertical temperature profiles, five thermocline types （shallow thermocline, deep thermocline, hybrid thermocline, double thermocline, and multiple thermocline） are defined herein. In winter, when the northeasterly monsoon prevails, most shallow shelf seas in the northwest of the SCS are well mixed, and there is no obvious thermocline. The deep region generally has a deep thermocline, and the hybrid or double thermocline often occurs in the areas near the cold eddy in the south of the SCS. In summer, when the southwesterly monsoon prevails, the shelf sea area with a shallow thermocline greatly expands. The distribution of different thermocline types shows a relationship with ocean bathymetry： from shallow to deep waters, the thermocline types generally change from shallow or hybrid to deep thermocline, and the double or multiple thermocline usually occurs in the steep regions. The seasonal variations of the three major thermocline characteristics （the upper bound depth, thickness, and intensity） are also discussed. Since the SCS is also an area where tropical cyclones frequently occur, the response of thermocline to a typhoon process in a short time scale is also analyzed.     

Taiwan Current (Kuroshio) and Impinging Eddies

Considerable westward or nothwestward propagating eddies were found east of Taiwan that cross-explains the anomalies in the repeated hydrography, trajectory of drifting buoys and altimetric analyses. The sea level differences (SLD) across the Taiwan Current (Kuroshio) in the East Taiwan Channel (ETC) are utilized in order to examine the possible implication of eddies in the Taiwan Current transport. It is concluded that Taiwan is impinged by both cyclonic and anticyclonic mesoscale eddies at an interval of about 100 days. An approaching anticyclonic eddy will result in a higher SLD across the ETC and a larger mass transport of Taiwan Current, and, vice versa, a reduction of both SLD and the mass transport in the ETC as a cyclonic eddy arrives. The SLD-inferred northward transport in the ETC is highly coherent at the 100-day band with westward propagating eddies that originated in the interior ocean. The generation mechanism of these eddies are, however, still unclear. Leakage of the Kuroshio water to the east of the Ryukyu Islands is suggested due to the presence of cyclonic eddies. This 100-day rate of eddy-impingement invalidates any observation of 4 months or less, whether with direct or indirect measurements, because any conclusions depend on the presence or absence of eddies. To minimize the contamination from eddies, either long-term observations or eddy-removal procedures are required.     

Inertial currents in the northern North sea

Current profiles were measured in the northern North Sea during the autumnal breakdown of stratification (September and October) in 1998. The site was in 110 m of water and the depth-averaged M₂ tidal current amplitudes were about 0.15 m s⁻¹. The surface and bed mixed layers were initially well separated. The measurements were made principally with Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCP) which gave good coverage of the majority of the water column.During a two-month period several episodes of inertial currents were observed, exhibiting a range of responses some of which corresponded very closely to that predicted by theory. The structure of the inertial currents was primarily first mode baroclinic, with no inertial energy in the depth-averaged current. This implies that the currents in the lower layer are strongly linked to those in the surface layer and also that dissipation could be generated by bed friction, but the nature of the link is unclear. The level of least motion coincided with the thermocline. Since the currents in the upper and lower layers are 180° out of phase, large shears can occur across the thermocline; occasionally the bulk Richardson number determined with a four-metre vertical resolution was less than one.Turbulence measurements suggest that when large inertial current shears are present across the thermocline, which exceed the buoyancy frequencies, then mixing within and across the thermocline is significant. Future experiments should concentrate on enhanced dissipation measurements around the thermocline and higher spatial resolution time series measurements of current and density.     

Mesoscale Eddies Observed by TOLEX-ADCP and TOPEX/POSEIDON Altimeter in the Kuroshio Recirculation Region South of Japan

Mesoscale eddies in the Kuroshio recirculation region south of Japan have been investigated by using surface current data measured by an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) installed on a regular ferry shuttling between Tokyo and Chichijima, Bonin Islands, and sea surface height anomaly derived from the TOPEX/POSEIDON altimeter. Many cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies were observed in the region. Spatial and temporal scales of the eddies were determined by lag-correlation analyses in space and time. The eddies are circular in shape with a diameter of 500 km and a temporal scale of 80 days. Typical maximum surface velocity and sea surface height anomaly associated with the eddies are 15–20 cm s^–1 and 15 cm, respectively. The frequency of occurrence, temporal and spatial scales, and intensity are all nearly the same for the cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies, which are considered to be successive wave-like disturbances rather than solitary eddies. Phase speed of westward propagation of the eddies is estimated as 6.8 cm s^–1, which is faster than a theoretical estimate based on the baroclinic first-mode Rossby wave with or without a mean current. The spatial distribution of sea surface height variations suggests that these eddies may be generated in the Kuroshio Extension region and propagate westward in the Kuroshio recirculation region, though further studies are needed to clarify the generation processes.     

Observations of Rossby waves near site D1

A theory of Rossby waves makes a number of predictions about motions below the thermocline at Site D (39°10'N, 70°W). An experiment was made to test these predictions. Kinetic energy spectra show most of the energy is associated with periods of a week to a few months. The Reynolds' stress is negative for these periods. There is high coherence and on phase shift between 1000 m and 2000 m depths. Most of the wave-number estimates point to the south-west quadrant, consistent with westward propagation and with momentum flux into the Gulf Stream and energy flux out of it. There is enough consistency between statistics based on successive 8-month records to conclude that statistics based on a single 8-month record near Site D are meaningful. In an 8-month array of twenty-six current meters, for periods of a week to a month, the divergence is small compared to the vorticity, and the motion is transverse. The energy increases toward the bottom. The observed wave-numbers and frequencies fit the theoretical dispersion relationship satisfactorily. The kinetic energy of the fluctuations is much larger near the Gulf Stream than farther upslope. The vorticity is in quadrature with the upslope velocity. I conclude there is strong evidence that topographic Rossby wave mechanics are dominant below the thermocline on the continental rise north of the Gulf Stream.     

气侯平均风场作用下热带太平洋主流系和赤道行星波研究

将两层约化重力原始流体动力方程耦合气候月平均风场,数值计算流场基本能够正确反映热带太平洋上层主流系和温跃层的空间分布和季节变化．在气候平均条件下,东太平洋125°W附近经向风应力可激发出高阶混合Rossby重力波．海洋高阶赤道Kelvin波流速模态可从西太平洋边界传播到东太平洋边界,而高阶赤道Kelvin波温跃层模态从西太平洋边界东传后,在中太平洋受到高阶混合Rossby重力波诱发的西传温跃层扰动的阻挡．     

High resolution modeling of the monsoon circulation in the Indian Ocean

The goal of this paper is to present some results on the monsoon circulation in the Indian Ocean simulated with a σ-coordinate ocean model developed at the Institute of Numerical Mathematics, RAS. The model has a horizontal resolution of (1/8)° × (1/12)° and contains 21 σ-layers of uneven thickness. Realistic bottom topography and land geometry are used. The numerical experiments were carried out for 15 years starting from the Levitus climatology for January and monthly mean climatic atmospheric forcing from the NCEP reanalysis data. The annual cycle of the surface and subsurface currents and temperature and salinity fields were analyzed. The model reproduces well the Summer Monsoon and the Winter Monsoon currents and their time evolution and spatial structures. The Somali Current is adequately modeled. During the Summer Monsoon, the velocities of the current exceed 2 m/s, while the total mass transport is approximately 70 Sv. The model results show that a reversal of the Somali Current from the northern direction in the summer to the southern direction in the winter is accompanied by the generation of anticyclonic eddies, which drift westward owing to the β-effect and dissipate either near the Somali shore or in the Gulf of Aden. The monsoon variability of the equatorial surface current and equatorial subsurface countercurrent system are analyzed. It is shown that these currents are generated predominantly by the zonal component of wind stress, in which the half-year harmonic dominates. This leads to the fact that the equatorial surface current also changes its direction with a half-year periodicity almost in phase with the wind. The oppositely directed subsurface compensational countercurrent changes its direction with a time lag of approximately one month. Gradient currents, which appear in the Bay of Bengal due to the riverine runoff, make an important contribution to the circulation. This effect manifests itself especially strongly in the summer during the peak of the Ganges River runoff, which transports fresh turbid waters. The principal features of the large-scale quasi-stationary gyre structure of the Indian Ocean such as the Great Whirl, Socotra high, and Laccadive high and low are simulated.     

Circulation of shelf waters in the KwaZulu-Natal Bight,South Africa

Ship-based acoustic Doppler current profiler (S-ADCP) technology, used in survey mode, has enabled near- synoptic views of the in situ 3-D current field in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Bight to be elucidated for the first time. Data acquired by the research vessels RS Africana and RS Algoa in June 2005, September 2007, March 2009 and July 2010 are presented. Each S-ADCP dataset showed similar circulation characteristics whereby the continental slope and outer shelf of the KZN Bight were strongly influenced by the south-westward flowing Agulhas Current. This was particularly evident in the extreme north between Cape St Lucia and Richards Bay where the shelf is narrowest and velocities exceeded 200 cm s?1. The widening of the bight to the south moves the Agulhas Current further from the coast, resulting in a diminishing velocity gradient on the outer shelf which terminates around the midshelf axis. The southern region of the bight was mostly influenced by the Durban cyclonic eddy (Durban Eddy), and in June 2005 and September 2007, by a cyclonic ‘swirl’ that occupied the entire southern half of the KZN Bight, the latter identified by a combination of S-ADCP-, satellite-derived SST- and ocean colour data. Satellite data showed low-chlorophyll offshore water to move into this swirl and northwards along the inner- and midshelf, reaching the Thukela River. Inner-shelf circulation north of the Thukela River was weak (<20 cm s?1) and highly variable. Satellite-tracked surface drogues deployed in the Durban Eddy found their way into the northward coastal current in the KZN Bight, with velocities exceeding 90 cm s?1 at times. The drogues also highlighted the strong influence of wind, especially in the northern bight between Durnford Point and Cape St Lucia, with residence times on the shelf exceeding 14 days, suggesting this region to be of biological importance particularly for recruitment.