PANGAEA—an information system for environmental sciences

Analysis of micropaleontologic evidence in a deep-sea core in the south-west Indian Ocean indicates that the Agulhas Current was not a dominant feature of this region during glacial intervals. Interpretation of the fossil record, based on the analysis of modern faunal analogs, indicates that during glacial intervals the Agulhas Current was not the strong, year-round current that it is today. Evidence shows that during summer months a weak tropical current was present. During winter months the current was replaced by cool, high-salinity waters. This interpretation suggests that seasonal changes in circulation may have been more pronounced in the southwest Indian Ocean during glacial intervals than today.