Variability in the Deep Western Boundary Current in the equatorial Atlantic at 44°W

The variability of the North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) was studied by ten hydrographic repeat sections taken along 44 degreesW off Brazil between September 1989 and March 1994. This data set allowed for the first time to describe the seasonal signal in the Deep Western Boundary Current at the equator from hydrographic data. Annual and semiannual layer thickness modulations were observed similar to such signals in transport time series, however with a time lag of 2 months. A comparison of the interannual variability of the Labrador Sea Water component of the NADW at 44 degreesW at the equator with the formation region indicated a time lag of 13 to 17 years. The effective spreading velocities in the Labrador Sea Water are in the range 2 to 5 cms(-1) for the tropical Atlantic Ocean.