Submesoscale Phenomena Due to the Brazil Current Crossing of the Vitória?Trindade Ridge

At 20.5°S, the Brazil Current and Intermediate Western Boundary interact with a quasi-zonal seamount chain, Vitória-Trindade Ridge (VTR). While mesoscale variability generated due to these western boundary currents crossing VTR has been recently studied, submesoscale dynamics associated such features have never addressed. Here, we use new observations 2- km-resolution model analyze role of seamounts in regional dynamics, their seasonality, instabilities. We present high-resolution velocity density that capture flow. Within regions, potential vorticity (PV) reveals patches symmetrically unstable flow close seamounts. The horizontal resolution (?x ? 1.5 km) our quasi-synoptic (10 h) partially resolves Our Regional Oceanic Modeling System simulation identifies two regimes activity region, one typically seasonal cycle mixed layer, second flow–topography interactions. A spatiotemporal analysis vertical buoyancy fluxes points interactions as main source recurrent, deeper As emerges hotspot oligotrophic South Atlantic, lack still remains obstacle better understand processes region.