On the conditions of the geostrophic circulation in waters off Cabo Frio (RJ)

Abstract

The geostrophic circulation and the hydrographic conditions on the edge of the continental shelf off Cabo Frio (RJ) were investigated along two vertical sections sampled on July 1968. The main characteristics resulting from this analysis are the occurrences of east and west flows3 with speeds up to ± 2 cm.s-1 and -49 cm.s-1, respectively. The eastward motion presents a volume transport of 0.52 Sv (0.40 Sv) and the highest speeds are reached under the pycnocline, near the edge of the continental shelf. The main flow westward, presents the highest speeds on the upper layer, and the low values of volume transport of -2.24 Sv (-2.68 Sv) suggest that the hydrographic observations have been made in the cyclonic shear region of the Brazil Current. Details on the volume transport are presented, on the T-S diagram corresponding to classes bounded by intervals of thermosteric anomaly and temperature.