The prevailing anticyclonic wind circulation of the Southern Hemisphere gives the South Atlantic Ocean its characteristic ocean circulation. 

SOUTH EQUATORIAL CURRENT. This current dominates the northern portion of the South Atlantic Ocean. It flows from east to west just south of the EQUATORIAL COUNTER-CURRENT. On reaching the eastern shores of South America, it splits. One branch turns northward along the northern coast of South America, where it merges with waters of the North Equatorial Current. The other branch flows southward as the BRAZILIAN CURRENT.

BRAZILIAN CURRENT. The Brazilian Current brings very warm, saline waters to the coasts of Brazil and Uruguay. It flows south along the east coast of South America to about 40S, where it turns east and joins the FALKLAND CURRENT. The Falkland Current is an extension of the WEST WIND DRIFT CURRENT.

WEST WIND DRIFT CURRENT. This cold current flows west to east and completely encircles the Antarctic continent. Because it encircles Antarctica, it is also referred to as the ANTARCTIC CIRCUMPOLAR CURRENT. In the South Atlantic the West Wind Drift flows east between 45S and 50S. The FALKLAND CUR-RENT, which flows north along the coast of Argentina, and the BENGUELA CURRENT, which flows north along the west coast of South Africa, are both extensions of the West Wind Drift Current.

FALKLAND CURRENT. The Falkland Current brings cold waters of low salinity as far north as 40S before turning east and merging with the Brazilian Current. The two currents develop great whirls in the middle section of the South Atlantic Ocean.

BENGUELA CURRENT. The Benguela Current is the dominant current in the eastern South Atlantic. It flows north along the west coast of Africa, and its cold waters are a major contributor to the formation of low clouds and fog along the immediate southwestern coast.

GUINEA CURRENT. The Guinea Current is an extension of the Equatorial Countercurrent. It flows eastward to the African coast.

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