Agulhas Current
D1. Physical and chemical oceanography and marine meteorologyDefinition
Strong western boundary current of the southwest Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa.
The Agulhas is the warm, strong western boundary current of the southwest Indian Ocean, flowing southwestward along the African coast at roughly 70 Sv. At the southern tip of Africa it retroflects back into the Indian Ocean, but sheds large Agulhas rings that leak warm, salty water into the South Atlantic. This Agulhas leakage is a recognized control on the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation.