Warming trend in Antarctic Bottom Water flowing into the Brazil Basin

As a contribution to the World Ocean Circulation Experimentʹs Deep Basin Experiment an array of current meters was deployed across the southern boundary of the Brazil Basin in early 1991 and subsequently recovered in late 1992. On the associated mooring cruises two hydrographic sections were also made. Both the current meter and shipboard temperature measurements show a significant warming of the Antarctic Bottom Water flowing into the Brazil Basin. This amounts to approximately 0.1 °C at 0.2°C, the coldest layer flowing over the Lower Santos Plateau, and 0.03°C in the coldest water that flows northward through the Vema Channel. In the latter, measurements over the past 20 years suggest little variation (<0.005°C) so the 0.03°C change over a 2 year period is considered quite significant.