Indo-Atlantic exchanges of subtropical water play a crucial role in controlling global climate. The intense mesoscale activity south of Africa contributes to these exchanges, yet remains poorly described. A commonly accepted circulation scheme of those waters assmues that the subtropical gyres of the neighbouring oceans are partially connected, forming a super-gyre. Using an altimeter-derived sea-level time series spanning over 12 years, we study the exchanges through the "northern branch" of the super-gyre (Indian to Atlantic ocean), and through the "southern branch" (opposite direction). Regarding the northern branch, an initial study of the Agulhas Current Retroflection yields a statistical description of its behaviour, and shows the disrupting role of... |