Madagascar Current

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The Madagascar current is an oceanic current in the west Indian Ocean.

The Madagascar current is split into two currents – the North Madagascar Current and the East Madagascar Current. The south easterly trade winds, the South Equatorial Current and the South Indian Ocean flow westward when it reaches Madagascar's east coast the flow splits into the North and South Madagascar Currents. [1] Both currents redistribute mass and heat along the stream current system along Madagascar's coast. [1] The North Madagascar Current flows into the South Equatorial Current just north of Madagascar and is directed into the Mozambique Channel, this connects to the gyre's equatorial currents into the Agulhas Current off the coast of Southeastern Africa. [2]

The Northern Indian Ocean lies within a large anticyclonic supergyre, northern Madagascar lies between this gyre and a cyclonic gyre in the northern Indian Ocean. [3] There are eddies that originate in the Mozambique Channel and in the southern region of Madagascar that can affect the timing of the ring formation of the retroflection of the Agulhas Current. [4]

See also

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Whaling in Madagascar is currently banned on a commercial level in compliance with sanctuary regulations. Despite erratic weather conditions, there is a history of overhunting sperm whales, humpback whales, and Bryde's whales within the surrounding waters of Madagascar. In an attempt to allow native populations to recuperate from these operations, the region about Madagascar was included within the Indian Ocean Whale Sanctuary by the International Whaling Commission.

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The North Madagascar Current is an ocean current near Madagascar. The Madagascar current is split into two currents: the North Madagascar Current and the East Madagascar Current (EMC). The North Madagascar Current (NMC) flows into the South Equatorial Current just north of Madagascar and is directed into the Mozambique Channel, this connects to the gyre's equatorial currents into the Agulhas Current off the coast of Southeastern Africa.

A Wind generated current is a flow in a body of water that is generated by wind friction on its surface. Wind can generate surface currents on water bodies of any size. The depth and strength of the current depend on the wind strength and duration, and on friction and viscosity losses, but are limited to about 400 m depth by the mechanism, and to lesser depths where the water is shallower. The direction of flow is influenced by the Coriolis effect, and is offset to the right of the wind direction in the Northern Hemisphere, and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. A wind current can induce secondary water flow in the form of upwelling and downwelling, geostrophic flow, and western boundary currents.

References

  1. 1 2 Chen, Zhaohui, et al. "Seasonal Variation of the South Equatorial Current Bifurcation off Madagascar." Journal of Physical Oceanography 44.2 (2014): 618-631.
  2. ↑ Lutjeharms J.R.E., Wedepohl P.M., and Meeuwis J.M. "On the surface drift of the East Madagascar and Mozambique Currents." South African Journal of Science 96.3 (2000).
  3. ↑ Ali, Jason R., and Matthew Huber. "Mammalian biodiversity on Madagascar controlled by ocean currents." Nature 463.7281 (2010): 653-656.
  4. ↑ Ridderinkhof, W., et al. "Dipoles of the South East Madagascar Current." Geophysical Research Letters 40.3 (2013): 558-562.


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