Satellite-tracked drifting buoy observations in the south equatorial current in the Indian Ocean

Abstract

Three satellite-tracked drifting buoys released in the south equatorial current in the Indian Ocean followed the path of the current moving westward approximately zonally in the vicinity of 10 degrees S latitude. On nearing the east coast of Africa two buoys moved north and the third moved south. Over the open sea regime the buoys moved with a speed of approximately 30 cm/s at an angle of about 35 degrees to the left of the wind. The overall tendencies seen in the buoy drift are similar to those observed elsewhere in the world oceans