This investigation addresses the thermal characteristics of the major oceanic frontal systems in the Southern Ocean south of Africa based on data collected to a depth of 500 m on forty-three cruises during a fifteen year period. The width of the Agulhas Front has been shown to vary considerably in both its sea surface and sub-surface thermal manifestation as a result of mesoscale turbulence. Its mean sea surface width of 84 km has a standard deviation of 53 km, and the mean subsurface width of 37 km has a standard deviation of 33 km. The Agulhas Front. has been found to be a separate front north of the Subtropical Convergence in 56 % of the cruises investigated. It has only been observed from 18,2°E to 24,7°E, with a mean sea and subsurface temperature gradient across the Agulhas Front of 0,05 °C/km and 0, 13 °C/km respectively. It has a mean sea surface middle temperature of 17, 8° C and a mean subsurface middle temperature of 12,6° C. The mean sea and sub-surface geographic positions of the thermal expression of the Agulhas Front are 39,3° S; 22,7° E aild 39,1° S; 22,7° E. The Subtropical Convergence at surface has been found to be a single, broad frontal zone across the Central/South East Atlantic Ocean, that does not bifurcate. It has a mean sea surface middle temperature of ·14,3° C and a mean sub-surface middle temperature of 8,4° C. The mean sea and sub-surface temperature gradients across the Subtropical Convergence are O, 03 °C/km and O, 05 °C/km respectively. The mean sea and sub-surface geographic positions of the· thermal expression of the Subtropical Convergence are 41, 8° S; 21, 9° E and 41, 7° S; 22, 0° E. The Subtropical Convergence has a mean sea surface width of 146 km and a mean sub-surface width of 79 km. The Sub-antarctic Front is pressed northward from 45° S to 43° S by the Mid-Ocean Ridge in the South West Indian Ocean sector, after which it converges · with the Subtropical Convergence at approximately 60° E to form a united STC/SAF at subsurface. This united STC/SAF does not however form a "Crozet Front" by joining the Agulhas Front between 52° E and 65° E. It has a mean sea surface middle temperature of 4,4° C and a mean sub-surface middle temperature of 4,0° C. The mean sea and subsurface temperature gradients across the Sub-antarctic Front are 0,02 °C/km. The mean sea and sub-surface geographic positions of the thermal expression of the Sub-antarctic Front are 48,7° S; 18,9° E and 46,8° S; 19,9° E. The Sub-antarctic Front has a mean sea surface width of 73 km and a mean sub-surface width of 77 km. In 30 % of the sections investigated the- Antarctic Polar Front consisted of a primary and secondary front. The Antarctic Polar Front does not join the Sub-antarctic Front east of · 40° E at sub-surface and subsequently no quadruple front is formed. It has a mean sea surface middle temperature of 2, 1 ° C and a mean sub-surface middle temperature of 2,3° C. The mean sea and sub-surface temperature gradients across the Antarctic Polar Front are 0,01 °C/km and 0,02 °C/km respectively. The mean sea and sub-surface geographic position of the thermal expression of the Antarctic Polar Front are 52, 7° S; 14,9° E and 49,2° S; 20,8° E. The Antarctic Polar Front has a mean sea surface width of 66 km and a mean sub-surface width of 74 km.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uct/oai:localhost:11427/31853 |
| Date | 02 April 2020 |
| Creators | Matthysen, Craig Peter |
| Contributors | Lutjeharms, Johann |
| Publisher | Faculty of Science, Department of Oceanography |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Master Thesis, Masters |
| Format | application/pdf |
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