The circulation of the Mozambique channel

Based on hydrographic data from 1977 to 1980 off the coast of Mozambique and historical data from the Mozambique Channel, the general circulation pattern of the area is described. The circulation pattern is characterized by the influence of three anticyclonic gyres covering the northern, the central, and the southern parts of the channel. Additionally, smaller cyclonic eddies are observed, of which some probably are topographically induced. The results strongly indicate that in the upper 1000 m the role of the Mozambique Current as one of the tributaries to the Agulhas Current is of minor significance and draw into question the concept of the Mozambique Current as a continuous one. © 1984.