2,921 research outputs found

    Data assimilative hindcast of the Gulf of Maine coastal circulation

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    Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2005. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Geophysical Research 110 (2005): C10011, doi:10.1029/2004JC002807.A data assimilative model hindcast of the Gulf of Maine (GOM) coastal circulation during an 11 day field survey in early summer 2003 is presented. In situ observations include surface winds, coastal sea levels, and shelf hydrography as well as moored and shipboard acoustic Doppler D current profiler (ADCP) currents. The hindcast system consists of both forward and inverse models. The forward model is a three-dimensional, nonlinear finite element ocean circulation model, and the inverse models are its linearized frequency domain and time domain counterparts. The model hindcast assimilates both coastal sea levels and ADCP current measurements via the inversion for the unknown sea level open boundary conditions. Model skill is evaluated by the divergence of the observed and modeled drifter trajectories. A mean drifter divergence rate (1.78 km d−1) is found, demonstrating the utility of the inverse data assimilation modeling system in the coastal ocean setting. Model hindcast also reveals complicated hydrodynamic structures and synoptic variability in the GOM coastal circulation and their influences on coastal water material property transport. The complex bottom bathymetric setting offshore of Penobscot and Casco bays is shown to be able to generate local upwelling and downwelling that may be important in local plankton dynamics.This work was supported by CSCOR/COP/ NOAA as part of NOAA MERHAB program. DJM gratefully acknowledges support from JPL through the ocean vector wind science team. DRL and KWS acknowledge support of NOAA/COP ECOHAB program

    Large-scale phenomena, chapter 3, part D

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    Oceanic phenomena with horizontal scales from approximately 100 km up to the widths of the oceans themselves are examined. Data include: shape of geoid, quasi-stationary anomalies due to spatial variations in sea density and steady current systems, and the time dependent variations due to tidal and meteorological forces and to varying currents

    Comparison of sea-ice freeboard distributions from aircraft data and cryosat-2

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    The only remote sensing technique capable of obtain- ing sea-ice thickness on basin-scale are satellite altime- ter missions, such as the 2010 launched CryoSat-2. It is equipped with a Ku-Band radar altimeter, which mea- sures the height of the ice surface above the sea level. This method requires highly accurate range measure- ments. During the CryoSat Validation Experiment (Cry- oVEx) 2011 in the Lincoln Sea, Cryosat-2 underpasses were accomplished with two aircraft, which carried an airborne laser-scanner, a radar altimeter and an electro- magnetic induction device for direct sea-ice thickness re- trieval. Both aircraft flew in close formation at the same time of a CryoSat-2 overpass. This is a study about the comparison of the sea-ice freeboard and thickness dis- tribution of airborne validation and CryoSat-2 measure- ments within the multi-year sea-ice region of the Lincoln Sea in spring, with respect to the penetration of the Ku- Band signal into the snow

    Some considerations on coastal processes relevant to sea level rise

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    The effects of potential sea level rise on the shoreline and shore environment have been briefly examined by considering the interactions between sea level rise and relevant coastal processes. These interactions have been reviewed beginning with a discussion of the need to reanalyze previous estimates of eustatic sea level rise and compaction effects in water level measurement. This is followed by considerations on sea level effects on coastal and estuarine tidal ranges, storm surge and water level response, and interaction with natural and constructed shoreline features. The desirability to reevaluate the well known Bruun Rule for estimating shoreline recession has been noted. The mechanics of ground and surface water intrusion with reference to sea level rise are then reviewed. This is followed by sedimentary processes in the estuaries including wetland response. Finally comments are included on some probable effects of sea level rise on coastal ecosystems. These interactions are complex and lead to shoreline evolution (under a sea level rise) which is highly site-specific. Models which determine shoreline change on the basis of inundation of terrestrial topography without considering relevant coastal processes are likely to lead to erroneous shoreline scenarios, particularly where the shoreline is composed of erodible sedimentary material. With some exceptions, present day knowledge of shoreline response to hydrodynamic forcing is inadequate for long-term quantitative predictions. A series of interrelated basic and applied research issues must be addressed in the coming decades to determine shoreline response to sea level change with an acceptable degree of confidence. (PDF contains 189 pages.

    Tidal dynamics on the North Patagonian Argentinean Gulfs

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    Semidiurnal (M2, S2, N2 and K2), diurnal (K1,O1 and P1) and quarter-diurnal (M4, MN4 and MS4) barotropic tides over the North Patagonian Gulfs of Argentina: San MatĂ­as, (SMG), Nuevo (NG) and San JosĂ© (SJG) are examined using a regional numerical model. Detailed comparison of computed elevations and currents with those obtained from harmonic analysis of few long-term observational records showed good agreement. A large amplification of all semidiurnal waves is recorded when they cross SMG mouth. Most of the tidal energy coming from the south at this frequency dissipates to the northeast of ValdĂ©s PenĂ­nsula, where the largest tidal currents are located. While M2 currents (up to 2–2.5 m/s) are dominant, there are large S2 and N2 currents and locally intensified diurnal currents (5–10 cm/s) in some outer shelf locations. At difference with the semidiurnal and diurnal tides the higher harmonics M4, MS4 and MN4 develop a large amplification inside the NG. The model revealed a complex field of tidal residual currents. The intensity of such currents in some locations are of the same order of magnitude as those generated by winds or offshore forcing. We have identified three main patterns of residual circulation: regional coastal currents and gulf-wide gyres; inlet eddies and, topographic eddies. Vorticity balances and sensitivity experiments indicate that non-linear advection and bottom topography are the key mechanisms involved in the generation of these residual structures.Fil: Tonini, Mariano Hernan. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂ­ficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro Nacional PatagĂłnico; ArgentinaFil: Palma, Elbio Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂ­ficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂ­fico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - BahĂ­a Blanca. Instituto Argentino de OceanografĂ­a. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de OceanografĂ­a; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de FĂ­sica; Argentin

    Observations of tidal variability on the New England shelf

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    Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2004. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Geophysical Research 109 (2004): C06010, doi:10.1029/2003JC001972.Observations from the Coastal Mixing and Optics experiment moored array, deployed from August 1996 through June 1997, are used to describe barotropic and baroclinic tidal variability over the New England shelf. The dominant M 2 tidal elevations decrease toward the northeast to a minimum over the Nantucket shoals (about 34 cm), and barotropic tidal current amplitudes increase strongly toward the northeast to a maximum over the shoals (about 35 cm s−1). Estimates of the depth-averaged M 2 momentum balance indicate that tidal dynamics are linear, and along-shelf pressure gradients are as large as cross-shelf pressure gradients. In addition, tidal current ellipses are weakly polarized, confirming that the dynamics are more complex than simple plane waves. The vertical structure of the M 2 currents decreases in amplitude and phase (phase lead near bottom) over the bottom 20 m. The M 2 momentum deficit near the bottom approximately matches direct covariance estimates of stress, confirming the effects of stress on current structure in the tidally driven bottom boundary layer. Baroclinic current variability at tidal frequencies is small (2 cm s−1 amplitude), with a predominantly mode 1 vertical structure. High-frequency (approaching the buoyancy frequency) internal solitons are observed following the pycnocline. The internal solitons switch from waves of depression to waves of elevation when the depth of maximum stratification is deeper than half the water column depth. Both low-mode baroclinic tidal and high-frequency internal wave energy decrease linearly with bottom depth across the shelf.Funding for the CMO experiment and subsequent analysis was provided by the Office of Naval Research under grants N00014-95-1-0339 and N00014-01-1-0140
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