The near‐surface flow in the subtropical gyre south of the Azores

This study presents evidence that the Azores Current (AZC) is a permanent feature of the North Atlantic subtropical gyre and that it feeds the North Equatorial Current (NEC). The AZC path is located south of the Azores; its velocity is mostly geostrophic, and the energy level in the mesoscale range is higher than in the NEC. The NEC velocity appears to be mostly ageostrophic, and the wind driven surface velocity is at about 15° to the right of the mean wind field.