The temporal displacement of ocean fronts south-east of Africa

Fronts in the ocean regions south of Africa circumscribe zones with specific physico-chemical characteristics that may also define particular biological provinces. The locational behaviour of these fronts is therefore important. We describe here the latitudes of the Agulhas Front, the Subtropical Convergence and the Subantarctic Front between South Africa and the Prince Edward Islands, based on repeated and detailed thermal observations over a three-year period. The fronts exhibited substantial shifts over relatively short periods, but within known limits. No clear short-term or Inter-annual movement patterns applicable to all three fronts were found.