Articles | Volume 21, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-661-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-661-2025
Research article
 | 
18 Mar 2025
Research article |  | 18 Mar 2025

River discharge impacts coastal southeastern tropical Atlantic sea surface temperature and circulation: a model-based analysis

Léo C. Aroucha, Joke F. Lübbecke, Peter Brandt, Franziska U. Schwarzkopf, and Arne Biastoch

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Cited articles

Alory, G., Da-Allada, C. Y., Djakouré, S., Dadou, I., Jouanno, J., and Loemba, D. P.: Coastal Upwelling Limitation by Onshore Geostrophic Flow in the Gulf of Guinea Around the Niger River Plume, Front. Mar. Sci., 7, 607216, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.607216, 2021. 
Aloysius, N. and Saiers, J.: Simulated hydrologic response to projected changes in precipitation and temperature in the Congo River basin, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 4115–4130, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-4115-2017, 2017. 
Alsdorf, D., Beighley, E., Laraque, A., Lee, H., Tshimanga, R., O'Loughlin, F., Mahé, G., Dinga, B., Moukandi, G., and Spencer, R. G. M.: Opportunities for hydrologic research in the Congo Basin, Rev. Geophys., 54, 378–409, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016RG000517, 2016. 
Aroucha, L. C. and Schwarzkopf, F. U.: Supplementary Data to: River discharge impacts coastal Southeastern Tropical Atlantic sea surface temperature and circulation: a model-based analysis, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel [data set], https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12085/2b927bcd-afab-4bc6-ba97-634d09435daa (last access: 10 January 2025), 2024. 
Aroucha, L. C., Lübbecke, J. F., Körner, M., Imbol Koungue, R. A., and Awo, F. M.: The Influence of Freshwater Input on the Evolution of the 1995 Benguela Niño, J. Geophys. Res.-Oceans, 129, e2023JC020241, https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JC020241, 2024. 
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Short summary
The west African coastal region sustains highly productive fisheries and marine ecosystems influenced by sea surface temperature. We use oceanic models to show that the freshwater input from land to ocean strengthens a surface northward (southward) coastal current north (south) of the Congo River mouth, promoting a transfer of cooler (warmer) waters to north (south) of the Congo discharge location. We highlight the significant impact of river discharge on ocean temperatures and circulation.
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