Sea Surface Temperature and the Agulhas Current

This visualization from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2013 shows sea surface temperatures (SST) associated with the Agulhas Current near South Africa at 1-kilometer (~0.6 mile) resolution. The Agulhas Current is a western boundary current that transports warm water southward in the Indian Ocean along the west coast of Africa. Near South Africa the current retroflects (or turns back on itself), called the Agulhas Retroflection, due to interactions with the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. Eddies that form as a result of Agulhas Retroflection are clearly visible in the animation.