View source for Madagascar Current

{{Short description|Ocean current in the West Indian Ocean}}
{{distinguish|text=the [[East Madagascar Current]]}}
The '''Madagascar current''' is an [[oceanic current]] in the west [[Indian Ocean]].

The Madagascar current is split into two currents – the [[North Madagascar Current]] and the East Madagascar Current. The south easterly trade winds, the [[South Equatorial Current]] and the [[South Indian Ocean]] flow westward when it reaches Madagascar's east coast the flow splits into the North and South Madagascar Currents.<ref name=":0">Chen, Zhaohui, et al. "Seasonal Variation of the South Equatorial Current Bifurcation off Madagascar." Journal of Physical Oceanography 44.2 (2014): 618-631.</ref> Both currents redistribute mass and heat along the stream current system along Madagascar's coast.<ref name=":0" /> The North Madagascar Current flows into the South Equatorial Current just north of Madagascar and is directed into the [[Mozambique Channel]], this connects to the gyre's equatorial currents into the [[Agulhas Current]] off the coast of Southeastern Africa.<ref>Lutjeharms J.R.E., Wedepohl P.M., and Meeuwis J.M. "On the surface drift of the East Madagascar and Mozambique Currents." South African Journal of Science 96.3 (2000).</ref>

The Northern Indian Ocean lies within a large anticyclonic supergyre, northern Madagascar lies between this gyre and a cyclonic gyre in the northern Indian Ocean.<ref>Ali, Jason R., and Matthew Huber. "Mammalian biodiversity on Madagascar controlled by ocean currents." Nature 463.7281 (2010): 653-656.</ref> There are eddies that originate in the Mozambique Channel and in the southern region of [[Madagascar]] that can affect the timing of the ring formation of the retroflection of the Agulhas Current.<ref>Ridderinkhof, W., et al. "Dipoles of the South East Madagascar Current." Geophysical Research Letters 40.3 (2013): 558-562.</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Ocean current]]
* [[Oceanic gyres]]
* [[Physical oceanography]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}



{{Ocean}}
{{Indian Ocean}}


[[Category:Currents of the Indian Ocean]]
[[Category:Geography of Madagascar]]

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