A parametric model for the Brazil current meanders and eddies off southeastern Brazil

Abstract

The eddies off of southeastern Brazil are unique inthat their water-mass composition is made up of bothupwelling waters and the southward flowing Brazil Current.We present a simple asymmetric model parameterizationfor the temperature and salinity structure of these eddies.Previous hydrographic data and analytical expressionsare used to generate the 3-D fields for the Cape Frio andCape Sa ̃o Tome ́ eddies. The resulting geostrophic velocityand transport estimates compare well with previousstudies. An example forecast with the Princeton OceanModel illustrates the usefulness of such parametrizationin understanding the eddy-meandering activities.