Absolutely referenced geostrophic velocity and transport on a section across the North Atlantic Current

A transect of CTD profiles crossing the North Atlantic Current (NAC) along WOCE line ACM6 near 42.5 degrees N during August 1-7, 1993, provides geostr ophic shear velocity profiles, which were absolutely referenced using simul taneous POGO transport float measurements and velocity measurements from a ship-mounted acoustic doppler current profiler (ADCP). The NAC absolute tra nsport was 112 +/- 23 x 10(6) m(3) s(-1), which includes a portion of the t ransport of the Mann Eddy, a large permanent anticyclonic eddy commonly adj acent to the NAG. The NAC transport estimated relative to a level of no mot ion at the bottom would have underestimated the true total absolute transpo rt by 20%. A surprisingly large 58 x 10(6) m(3) s(-1) flowed southward just inshore of the NAG. This flow, centered near 1500 dbars about 200 km offsh ore of the shelf-break, was fairly barotropic with a peak velocity of great er than 20 cm s(-1), and the water mass characteristics were of Labrador Se a Water. These absolute transport observations suggest southward recirculat ion inshore of the NAC at 42.5 degrees N and a stronger NAC than has previo usly been observed. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.