Brazil current
The Brazilian Current is a warm surface ocean current in the southern Atlantic and runs along the coast of Brazil in a south-westerly direction.
The Brazil Current is fed with water masses that are brought across the Atlantic with the South Equatorial Current from South West Africa . Another part of the warm equatorial current water flows northwest into the Caribbean (Caribbean current), where it then supplies the Gulf Stream with heat.
Before the mouth of the Río de la Plata at the 40th degree of southern latitude , the Brazil Current meets the cool Falkland Current flowing in a northerly direction . Under the influence of the west wind drift, both combine to form an ocean current to the east ( Antarctic Circumpolar Current ) and feed part of the cold Benguela Current . This flows northwards along the south-west African coast, in turn feeds the Atlantic south equatorial current and thus closes the cycle.
Web links
- The Brazil Current (English)