Introduction
A suite of key ocean indicators and indexes are computed at AOML using hydrographic and satellite observations. They provide information about ocean heat content, sea surface temperature, and ocean currents variability, and can be used to monitor and assess the current state of the ocean. If you would like to receive a file with the data of these indexes and indicators, please contact the investigators leading each specific work.
| Ocean Currents | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean Indicator | Time-series | Brief description | Links | |||||||||
|
|
Carries northward the western boundary flow of the subtropical gyre and the warm upper limb of the meridional overturning circulation |
FC websites:
FC cable website FC altimetry website |
|||||||||
| Yucatan Current (YC) Transport | ) |
Transport of waters from the Caribean Sea into the Gulf of Mexico | more information | |||||||||
|
|
Zonal transport of waters in the Tropical Atlantic Ocean | more information | |||||||||
|
|
Main contributor to the South to North Atlantic water mass transport | more information | |||||||||
| Brazil-Malvinas Confluence (BMC) | ) |
Southwest boundary of the South Atlantic Subtropical gyre, connecting subpolar to subtropical regions | more information | |||||||||
|
|
Transport of warm water along the western boundary in the southward Brazil Current that closes subtropical gyre of the South Atlantic | more information | |||||||||
|
|
Northward transport of a blend of water from the South Atlantic and the Indian Ocean. | more information | |||||||||
| Agulhas Current (AC) Transport | ) |
Boundary current closing the upper-limb of the Indian Ocean subtropical gyre | more information | |||||||||
)
)
){kind=spacer}
)
){kind=spacer}
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
| State of Oceans Currents | |
|---|---|
| Ocean Indicator |  |
|
FC Transport FCcable [Sv] |
 |
| FCssh [Sv] |
 |
| YC Transport [Sv] |
 |
|
NECC Transport [Sv] |
 |
| Latitude [°S] |
 |
|
SEUC Transport [Sv] |
 |
| Latitude [°S] |
 |
|
NBC Transport [Sv] |
 |
|
Retroflected flow [Sv] |
 |
|
Brazil Current 25°S |
 |
| 30°S |
 |
| 35°S |
 |
| 38°S |
 |
| BMC Latitude [°S] |
 |
|
Benguela Current 30°S |
 |
| 35°S |
 |
| AC Transport [Sv] |
 |
 |
|
1 Sverdrup (Sv) = 106m3 s-1
| Sea Surface Temperature and Sea Surface Height | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean Indicator | Time-series | Brief description | Links | ||||||||||
|
|
Extensions of warm (>28.5°C) surface waters in the tropical oceans used for extreme weather studies and outlooks |
|
||||||||||
|
|
An indicator to monitor the ocean's impact on tropical cyclone intensification |
|
||||||||||
|
|
El Niño Southern Oscillation is the most important ocean-atmosphere phenomenum linked to global climate variability on various time-scales, and linked to extreme weather events (tropical cyclones, tornadoes, droughts, and extreme rainfall) |  |
||||||||||
| Gulf of Mexico (GoM) Indicators | ) |
Parameters and Indicators to monitor ocean conditions including surface currents, heat content, and sea-level |  |
||||||||||
| North Atlantic (NATL) Indicators | ) |
Linked to the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation |  |
||||||||||
| Atlantic 3 Region (ATL3) Indicators | ) |
Shown to impact ENSO and linked to rainfall in the Gulf of Guinea |  |
||||||||||
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
| Other Regional Indicators | |
|---|---|
| Ocean Indicator | |
|
GoM SST [°C] |
 |
| SHR [cm] |
 |
|
NATL SST [°C] |
 |
| SHR [cm] |
 |
|
ATL3 SST [°C] |
 |
| SHR [cm] |
 |
|
Niño 1.2 SST [°C] |
 |
| SHR [cm] |
 |
|
Niño 3 SST [°C] |
 |
| SHR [cm] |
 |
|
Niño 3.4 SST [°C] |
 |
| SHR [cm] |
 |
|
Niño 4 SST [°C] |
 |
| SHR [cm] |
 |
|
AWP area X106 [km2] |
 |
| SHR [cm] |
 |
|
IPWP area X106 [km2] |
 |
| SHR [cm] |
 |
|
WHWP area X106 [km2] |
 |
| SHR [cm] |
 |
|
Tdy (June-Nov) Caribbean Sea |
 |
| Gulf of Mexico |
 |
|
|
South Atlantic MOC Indicators
MHT - Meridional Heat Transport (unit is PW X100)
MOC - Meridional Overturning Circulation (units is Sv, 1 Sv = 106m3 s-1)
MOV - Meridional Freshwater Flux (units is Sv X 10, 1 Sv = 106m3 s-1)
| Altimetry-derived South Atlantic MHT State | |
|---|---|
| Latitude | |
|
34.5°S Total |
 |
| Geostrophic |
 |
| Ekman |
 |
|
|
Estimates of altimetry-derived South Atlantic MOC and MHT for other latitudes can be found in the link
| Argo-altimetry derived South Atlantic MOC State | |
|---|---|
| Latitude | |
|
35°S MOC |
 |
| MHT |
 |
|
|
Estimates of Argo-altimetry derived MOC indicators for other latitudes can be found in the link