Eos, Vol. 77, No. 27, July 2, 1996 EOS, TRANSACTIONS, AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION EOS VOLUME 77 NUMBER 27 JULY 2.1996 PAGES 253-264 Experiment Studies Circulation in the Western South Atlantic PAGES 253, 259 E. J. D. Campos, Y. Ikeda, B. M. Castro, S. A. Gaeta, J. A. Lorenzzetti, and M. R. Stevenson Observations in the Brazil Current region between 20° and 30°S are revealing many in- teresting oceanographic features. In the aus- tral winter of 1993, what appears to be an anomalous northward penetration of waters from the Brazil/Malvinas confluence region into the South Brazil Bight was observed (Figure 1). Despite its dynamical similarity to the South Atlantic Bight (SAB) in the North Atlan- tic, the South Brazil Bight (SBB) (also re- ferred to as Santos Bight) is often overlooked by the physical oceanographic community. Most of the historical oceanographic cruises in this area focused on the shelf, leaving the shelf break and slope—and therefore the Bra- zil Current itself—largely unstudied. For in- stance, the first time a conductivity- termperature-depth (CTD) survey was made of the SBB was in January 1991 [Campos et a/., 1994,1995] when German and Brazilian oceanographers on board the German FS Vic- torHensen performed a CTD hydrographic survey in the area between Santos and Rio de Janeiro. Due to this substantial lack of knowledge in a region regarded as one of the most ecologically and economically important oceanic regions along the Brazilian coast, a group of Brazilian scientists set forth a com- prehensive oceanographic survey called Pro- ject COROAS to study the SBB and the nearby portions of the Brazil Basin. This multi-discipli- nary data collection effort, a component of the World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE) Deep Basin Experiment program, is an exten- sive study of part of the Brazil Basin that places particular emphasis on the SBB. COROAS focuses on different aspects of oceanography. It incorporates a high-quality hydrographic survey, satellite remote sens- ing, and Lagrangian and Eulerian current studies. Since the program began in 1993, re- searchers have performed several oceano- graphic cruises on board the R/V Prof. W. Besnard, conducted seasonal hydrographic surveys, and deployed and recovered an ar- ray of current meter moorings along a tran- sect extending from near Santos (Brazil) to the Vema Channel. Additionally, satel- lite-tracked WOCE-type drifters are col- lecting data in the Brazil Current, and satellite advanced very high resolution ra- diometer (AVHRR) data are being continu- ously recorded to map sea surface temperature. E. J. D. Campos, Y. Ikeda, B. M. Castro, and S. A. Gaeta, Instituto Oceanografico da Univer- sidade de Sao Paulo, P.ga. do Oceanografico, 191, Cid. Universitaria, 0550&900 Sao Paulo, SP-Brazil; J. A. Lorenzzetti and M. R. Steven- son, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais, Av. dos Astronautas 1758, CP 515, 12201, Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil Fig. 1. Sea surface temperature from satellite A VHRR processed at the Brazilian National Insti- tute for Space Research. This image, taken on July 20, 1993, shows a northward flowing current of low-temperature and low-salinity water (blue) between the Brazil Current (red) and the coast. It is clear that this current originates to the south of 31 °S. Original color image appears at the back of this volume. This page may be freely copied.