THE IMPORTANCE OF INTEROCEAN EXCHANGE SOUTH OF AFRICA IN A NUMERICAL-MODEL

A fine resolution numerical model of the Southern Ocean (the Fine Reso lution Antarctic Model (FRAM)) has been used to investigate the way in which heat is supplied to the South Atlantic. The heat budget in the model is compared with other estimates and is found to be broadly real istic. The temperature structure in the Atlantic, and therefore the me ridional heat transport, depend heavily on the input of heat from the Indian Ocean via the Agulhas Retroflection region. FRAM is compared wi th three models which do not exhibit a significant input of heat from the Indian Ocean. These models also have a lower equatorward heat tran sport in the South Atlantic. Horizontal resolution affects the amount of Agulhas transfer with coarser resolution leading to lower heat tran sport in the Atlantic, a result which has implications for ocean model s used in climate simulations.