Agulhas current variability determined from space : a multi-sensor approach

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dc.contributor.advisorShillington, Franken_ZA
dc.contributor.authorRouault, Marjolaineen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2014-10-17T07:35:20Z
dc.date.available2014-10-17T07:35:20Z
dc.date.issued2011en_ZA
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical references (p. 119-132).en_ZA
dc.description.abstractSatellite remote sensing datasets including more than 6 years of high frequency Sea Surface Temperature (SST) imagery as well as surface current observations derived from 18 years of merged-altimetry and over 2 years of Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) observations are combined to study the variability of the Agulhas Current. The newly available rangedirected surface currents velocities from ASAR, which rely on the careful analysis of the measured Doppler shift, show strong promise for monitoring the meso to sub-mesoscale features of the surface circulation. While the accuracy of ASAR surface current velocities suffers from occasional bias due to our current inability to systematically account for the wind-induced contribution to the Doppler shift signal, the ASAR surface current velocities are able to consistently highlight regions of strong current and shear. The synaptic nature and relatively high resolution of ASAR acquisitions make the ASAR derived current velocities a good complement to altimetry for the study of sub-mesoscale processes and western boundary current dynamics. Time-averaged range-directed surface currents derived from ASAR provide an improved map of the mean Agulhas Current flow, clearly showing the location of the Agulhas Current core over the 1000 m isobath and identifying the region at the shelf edge of the north-eastern Agulhas Bank as one of the most variable within the Agulhas Current. To determine the variability of the Agulhas Current, an algorithm to track the position of the current is developed and applied to the longer merged-altimetry and SST records. Limitations associated with altimetry near the coast favour the use of the SST dataset to track the position of the Agulhas Current in its northern region. In the southern Agulhas, where the current lies further from the coast, altimetry is suited to monitoring the position of the Agulhas Current. The front detection analysis conducted on the SST dataset in the northern Agulhas reveals the complex nature of Natal Pulses. The downstream passage of the Natal Pulses is associated with the generation of secondary offshore meanders at the inshore edge of the current. Perturbations formed during the passage of Natal Pulses evolve rapidly to either dissipate, re-merge with the initial Natal Pulse or in some rare occasion, detach from the Agulhas Current.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationRouault, M. (2011). <i>Agulhas current variability determined from space : a multi-sensor approach</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Oceanography. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8500en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationRouault, Marjolaine. <i>"Agulhas current variability determined from space : a multi-sensor approach."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Oceanography, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8500en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationRouault, M. 2011. Agulhas current variability determined from space : a multi-sensor approach. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Rouault, Marjolaine AB - Satellite remote sensing datasets including more than 6 years of high frequency Sea Surface Temperature (SST) imagery as well as surface current observations derived from 18 years of merged-altimetry and over 2 years of Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) observations are combined to study the variability of the Agulhas Current. The newly available rangedirected surface currents velocities from ASAR, which rely on the careful analysis of the measured Doppler shift, show strong promise for monitoring the meso to sub-mesoscale features of the surface circulation. While the accuracy of ASAR surface current velocities suffers from occasional bias due to our current inability to systematically account for the wind-induced contribution to the Doppler shift signal, the ASAR surface current velocities are able to consistently highlight regions of strong current and shear. The synaptic nature and relatively high resolution of ASAR acquisitions make the ASAR derived current velocities a good complement to altimetry for the study of sub-mesoscale processes and western boundary current dynamics. Time-averaged range-directed surface currents derived from ASAR provide an improved map of the mean Agulhas Current flow, clearly showing the location of the Agulhas Current core over the 1000 m isobath and identifying the region at the shelf edge of the north-eastern Agulhas Bank as one of the most variable within the Agulhas Current. To determine the variability of the Agulhas Current, an algorithm to track the position of the current is developed and applied to the longer merged-altimetry and SST records. Limitations associated with altimetry near the coast favour the use of the SST dataset to track the position of the Agulhas Current in its northern region. In the southern Agulhas, where the current lies further from the coast, altimetry is suited to monitoring the position of the Agulhas Current. The front detection analysis conducted on the SST dataset in the northern Agulhas reveals the complex nature of Natal Pulses. The downstream passage of the Natal Pulses is associated with the generation of secondary offshore meanders at the inshore edge of the current. Perturbations formed during the passage of Natal Pulses evolve rapidly to either dissipate, re-merge with the initial Natal Pulse or in some rare occasion, detach from the Agulhas Current. DA - 2011 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2011 T1 - Agulhas current variability determined from space : a multi-sensor approach TI - Agulhas current variability determined from space : a multi-sensor approach UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8500 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/8500
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationRouault M. Agulhas current variability determined from space : a multi-sensor approach. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Oceanography, 2011 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8500en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Oceanographyen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Scienceen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherOceanographyen_ZA
dc.titleAgulhas current variability determined from space : a multi-sensor approachen_ZA
dc.typeDoctoral Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelDoctoral
dc.type.qualificationnamePhDen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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