Seasonality of the Energy Transfers in the Azores Current
- João H Bettencourt
, - Carlos Guedes Soares

João H Bettencourt

Instituto Superior Técnico, Instituto Superior Técnico
Author ProfileCarlos Guedes Soares

Universidade de Lisboa Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa Instituto Superior Técnico
Corresponding Author:c.guedes.soares@centec.tecnico.ulisboa.pt
Author ProfileAbstract
The seasonal variability of the Azores Current energy transfers is
studied using the output from a regional ocean model of the Eastern
Central North Atlantic, forced by climatological surface fluxes and open
ocean boundary conditions. The results show a stable Azores Current with
baroclinic energy transfers supporting the current's energetics. Inverse
barotropic energy transfers that feed the mean flow are several orders
of magnitude smaller but this mechanism is active all year due to the
Reynolds Stress convergence. These results support the findings of a
stable Azores Current all year round.