Articles | Volume 17, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-17-1067-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-17-1067-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Characteristics and robustness of Agulhas leakage estimates: an inter-comparison study of Lagrangian methods
Christina Schmidt
GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
Franziska U. Schwarzkopf
GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
Siren Rühs
GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
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Cited
18 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Limited influence of the Agulhas leakage on the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation under present-day climate conditions R. Zhang et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02097-4
- The Early Eocene South Indian subtropical gyre in DeepMIP paleoclimate simulations T. Le Hir et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2026.113830
- River discharge impacts coastal southeastern tropical Atlantic sea surface temperature and circulation: a model-based analysis L. Aroucha et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-661-2025
- Major sources of North Atlantic Deep Water in the subpolar North Atlantic from Lagrangian analyses in an eddy-rich ocean model J. Fröhle et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/os-18-1431-2022
- On the fate of the Irminger Current water and its impact on the convection region in the Irminger Sea – a Lagrangian model study N. Fried et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-1763-2026
- Long-term variability and trends in the Agulhas Leakage and its impacts on the global overturning H. Großelindemann et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-93-2025
- Robust estimates for the decadal evolution of Agulhas leakage from the 1960s to the 2010s S. Rühs et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-022-00643-y
- Coupling large-spatial scale larval dispersal modelling with barcoding to refine the amphi-Atlantic connectivity hypothesis in deep-sea seep mussels E. Portanier et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1122124
- Pathways and Timescales of Connectivity Around the Antarctic Continental Shelf H. Dawson et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JC018962
- Investigation of the Source of Iceland Basin Freshening: Virtual Particle Tracking with Satellite-Derived Geostrophic Surface Velocities H. Furey et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15245711
- Early-Middle Pleistocene to recent paleoceanographic variability in the Agulhas system (southwestern Indian Ocean) induced by fluctuations in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current A. Del Gaudio et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2026.113788
- Current and projected patterns of warming and marine heatwaves in the Southern Indian Ocean C. Azarian et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pocean.2023.103036
- Submesoscale flows impact Agulhas leakage in ocean simulations R. Schubert et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-021-00271-y
- Drivers of ocean warming in the western boundary currents of the Southern Hemisphere J. Li et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-022-01473-8
- Basin-scale tracer replacement timescales in a one-degree global OGCM K. Kusahara & H. Tatebe https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1308728
- Exceptional freshening and cooling in the eastern subpolar North Atlantic caused by reduced Labrador Sea surface heat loss A. Fox et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/os-18-1507-2022
- 3D-VoCC: 3D vortex correlation clustering on spatial data based on masked hough transform N. Tavares de Sousa et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10707-025-00540-4
- A 334-year coral record of surface temperature and salinity variability in the greater Agulhas Current region J. Zinke et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-1453-2022
18 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Limited influence of the Agulhas leakage on the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation under present-day climate conditions R. Zhang et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02097-4
- The Early Eocene South Indian subtropical gyre in DeepMIP paleoclimate simulations T. Le Hir et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2026.113830
- River discharge impacts coastal southeastern tropical Atlantic sea surface temperature and circulation: a model-based analysis L. Aroucha et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-661-2025
- Major sources of North Atlantic Deep Water in the subpolar North Atlantic from Lagrangian analyses in an eddy-rich ocean model J. Fröhle et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/os-18-1431-2022
- On the fate of the Irminger Current water and its impact on the convection region in the Irminger Sea – a Lagrangian model study N. Fried et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-1763-2026
- Long-term variability and trends in the Agulhas Leakage and its impacts on the global overturning H. Großelindemann et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-93-2025
- Robust estimates for the decadal evolution of Agulhas leakage from the 1960s to the 2010s S. Rühs et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-022-00643-y
- Coupling large-spatial scale larval dispersal modelling with barcoding to refine the amphi-Atlantic connectivity hypothesis in deep-sea seep mussels E. Portanier et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1122124
- Pathways and Timescales of Connectivity Around the Antarctic Continental Shelf H. Dawson et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JC018962
- Investigation of the Source of Iceland Basin Freshening: Virtual Particle Tracking with Satellite-Derived Geostrophic Surface Velocities H. Furey et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15245711
- Early-Middle Pleistocene to recent paleoceanographic variability in the Agulhas system (southwestern Indian Ocean) induced by fluctuations in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current A. Del Gaudio et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2026.113788
- Current and projected patterns of warming and marine heatwaves in the Southern Indian Ocean C. Azarian et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pocean.2023.103036
- Submesoscale flows impact Agulhas leakage in ocean simulations R. Schubert et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-021-00271-y
- Drivers of ocean warming in the western boundary currents of the Southern Hemisphere J. Li et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-022-01473-8
- Basin-scale tracer replacement timescales in a one-degree global OGCM K. Kusahara & H. Tatebe https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1308728
- Exceptional freshening and cooling in the eastern subpolar North Atlantic caused by reduced Labrador Sea surface heat loss A. Fox et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/os-18-1507-2022
- 3D-VoCC: 3D vortex correlation clustering on spatial data based on masked hough transform N. Tavares de Sousa et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10707-025-00540-4
- A 334-year coral record of surface temperature and salinity variability in the greater Agulhas Current region J. Zinke et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-1453-2022
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Discussed (final revised paper)
Latest update: 09 Jun 2026
Short summary
We estimate Agulhas leakage, water flowing from the Indian Ocean to the South Atlantic, in an ocean model with two different tools. The mean transport, variability and trend of Agulhas leakage is simulated comparably with both tools, emphasising the robustness of our method. If the experiments are designed differently, the mean transport of Agulhas leakage is altered, but not the trend. Agulhas leakage waters cool and become less salty south of Africa resulting in a density increase.
We estimate Agulhas leakage, water flowing from the Indian Ocean to the South Atlantic, in an...