Origin of the Atlantic Equatorial Undercurrent

The distribution of temperature, salinity, and oxygen in the western equatorial Atlantic, combined with parachute drogue observations and an analysis of the pressure fields in the upper 300 meters, shows the current pattern associated with the origin of the Equatorial Undercurrent. The temperature/oxygen relationship indicates that most of the Undercurrent water comes from the South Atlantic by way of the North Brazilian Coastal Current and that the contribution of North Atlantic water is very minor.