Abstract
The Atlantis II Deep is located at about 21.5 degrees N within a deep trench which divides the Red Sea along the mid-axis. Data from the Atlantis II mooring, maintained during January-February 1978, provide valuable information about residual current distribution over the whole water column. The residual currents have speeds of 20 cm/s at the level of surface current meter, decreasing to 1.5 cm/s at about 250 m depth. The dominant direction over this depth level is southeast in January and changes to northeast in February. From 250 m down to the bottom the dominant direction is north-northwest and the residual speeds range between 1.5 and 3.0 cm/s at different depth levels. The weighted depth-mean residual current speed from surface to 250 m is about 7.7 cm/s, and in the deeper layer amounts to about 2.0 cm/s. These results suggest that the net transport in the deeper layer of the Atlantis II Deep is axial within the central trench in an almost north-northwest direction.