Current meter measurements have been carried out for 3 years on the continental slope of the Gulf of Guinea, near 7.5 degrees S off the Angola coast. Currents in a water depth of 1300 m over the continental slope show a remarkable biweekly oscillation, bottom intensified, and with currents oriented nearly parallel to the isobaths. With a peak-to-peak amplitude reaching 20-30 cm s(-1) at 30 in above the bottom, this signal is the most energetic at sub-inertial frequencies. Simultaneous measurements deeper on the continental rise (in a water depth of 4000 m) show a more complex signal dominated by lower frequencies, and with less clear polarization. Simple linear topographic wave theories are compared to the observations. A combination of coastal trapped... |