ASSESSING AN INVERSE METHOD FOR THE DETER MINATION OF OCEANIC CURRENTS IN THE CANARY BASIN

4 hydrographic arrays were performed during the SEMAPHORE experiment w hich took place in the region between the Azores and Madeira from June to November 1993. The aim of these arrays was to follow the evolution of the Azores front at the mesoscale. Current estimates have been per formed from these data using the Bernoulli inverse technique. This met hod assumes the dependence of density, potential vorticity and Bernoul li functions which are approximately conserved along stream lines. The inversions show the eastward Azores current in the upper 1,000 m, its meandering and interaction with a warm and salty Mediterranean water lens. However, the inversions failed to give a proper circulation in t he deeper layers. Estimates based on in situ observations and from geo strophic currents, assuming a level of no motion below 2,000 m, would yield reasonably accurate deep currents.