Vertical velocities associated with gravity waves measured in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere with the EISCAT VHF radar

The EISCAT VHF radar (69.4°N, 19.1°E) has been used to record vertical winds at mesopause heights on a total of 31 days between June 1990 and January 1993. The data reveal a motion field dominated by quasi-monochromatic gravity waves with representative apparent periods of 30–40 min, amplitudes of up to 2.5 m s^–1 and large vertical wavelength. In some instances waves appear to be ducted. Vertical profiles of the vertical-velocity variance display a variety of forms, with little indication of systematic wave growth with height. Daily mean variance profiles evaluated for consecutive days of recording show that the general shape of the variance profiles persists over several days. The mean variance evaluated over a 10 km height range has values from 1.2 m²s^–2 to 6.5 m²s^–2 and suggests a semi-annual seasonal cycle with equinoctial minima and solsticial maxima. The mean vertical wavenumber spectrum evaluated at heights up to 86 km has a slope (spectral index) of -1.36 ± 0.2, consistent with observations at lower heights but disagreeing with the predictions of a number of saturation theories advanced to explain gravity-wave spectra. The spectral slopes evaluated for individual days have a range of values, and steeper slopes are observed in summer than in winter. The spectra also appear to be generally steeper on days with lower mean vertical-velocity variance.     

Mechanisms of bottom boundary fluxes in a numerical model of the Shetland shelf

Across-slope bottom boundary layer (BBL) fluxes on the shelf-edge connect this region to deeper waters. Two proposed ways in which across-slope BBL fluxes can occur, in regions that have a slope current aligned to the bathymetry, are the frictional veering of bottom currents termed the ‘Ekman drain’ and through local wind-forced downwelling (wind-driven surface Ekman flow with an associated bottom flow). We investigate the variability, magnitude and spatial scale of BBL fluxes on the Shetland shelf, which has a prominent slope current, using a high-resolution (～2 km) configuration of the MITgcm model. Fluxes are analysed in the BBL at the shelf break near the 200 m isobath and are found to have a seasonal variability with high/low volume transport in winter/summer respectively. By using a multivariate regression approach, we find that the locally wind-driven Ekman transport plays no explicit role in explaining daily bottom fluxes. We can better explain the variability of the across-slope BBL flux as a linear function of the speed and across-slope component of the interior flow, corresponding to an Ekman plus mean-flow flux. We estimate that the mean-flow is a greater contributor than the Ekman flux to the BBL flux. The spatial heterogeneity of the BBL fluxes can be attributed to the mean-flow, which has a much shorter decorrelation length compared to the Ekman flux. We conclude that both the speed and direction of the interior current determines the daily BBL flux. The wind does not explicitly contribute through local downwelling, but may influence the interior current and therefore implicitly the BBL fluxes on longer timescales.     

The shelf-edge current north-west of Ireland

Measurements of the slope current at two locations north-west of Ireland have been made between April and December 1994, 40 m above the seabed in a water depth of 660 m. A persistent poleward along-slope current was observed at both locations, with measured means of 10 and 21cms^–1 respectively. A CTD transect across the slope near one mooring indicated the presence of a light, warm, saline core of water at the shelf edge. Peak currents were 0(50) cms^–1, with strongest mean flow at the location with steeper slope. Variability at sub-tidal periods, principally 2–5 and 11–12 days, was apparent. The shorter-period variability was well correlated with coastal sea-level variations measured at a land point near to one of the moorings. The variability in the slope current at this period appeared to be a result of the warm current core movement up/down slope, probably as a result of interaction with higher-mode shelf waves. Some suggestion of a bottom-trapped diurnal wave was also found at one location.     

Residual circulation in eastern Long Island Sound: Observed transverse-vertical structure and exchange transport

Residual currents in eastern Long Island Sound (LIS) are investigated using direct velocity measurements from an acoustic Doppler current profiler mounted on a ferry. Circulation at the site has major influence on exchange of water and water-borne materials between LIS and the coastal ocean. Ferry sampling enables sufficient averaging to isolate the residual motion from stronger tidal currents, and captures its spatial structure. Mean along-estuary currents based on about 2 years of sampling reveal a vigorous estuarine exchange circulation (peak 25–30 cm s⁻¹ at depth), with flow eastward out of the estuary in the upper water column of the southern half and inward westward movement strengthening with depth over the central and north section. Application of volume conservation implies there is a strong eastward current out of the estuary in the shallowest 7 m where no measurements were made, as expected for estuarine exchange flow. Water from the Connecticut River, entering LIS on the north shore nearby to the west, does not appear to exit the estuary directly eastward along the north shore unless this occurs wholly in the shallow layer not sampled. Transverse currents have complex structure with generally northward (southward) flow where shallow outward (deep inward) motion occurs. An idealized semi-analytic solution for transverse-vertical structure of along- and across-estuary flow has limited success accounting for observed currents, despite inclusion of bathymetric, frictional, and rotational influences; this suggests the importance in LIS of dynamics it omits, in particular stratification, or does not represent with sufficient realism, such as complex bathymetry. Estimated annual-mean exchange volume transport, based on the better-sampled deep inward component, is 22,700±5000 m³ s⁻¹. This is comparable to previous estimates from some salt budget and hydrographic analyses, and implies advection contributes substantially to the total salt transport, contrary to results of a recent box-model analysis of hydrographic measurements. At seasonal timescales, changes to the transverse-vertical velocity structure are modest, but amplitude variations cause exchange volume transport increases (decreases) to 30,000 m³ s⁻¹ (18,000 m³ s⁻¹) in the summer (winter) months; a power-law dependence of exchange on river flow, as seen in other estuaries, is not supported. Strengthened summer transport is associated with enhanced stratification, suggesting that mixing effects modulate the exchange. To the extent that advection by residual flow contributes to total exchange between LIS and coastal waters, the flushing of materials from LIS should occur substantially faster in summer than in winter.     

Seasonal variation in sediment transport on the Russian River shelf,California

Near-bottom currents, light transmission and scattering, and bottom pressure were measured with GEOPROBE tripods and vector-averaging current meters during June 1979 to April 1980 on the central shelf 10 km west of the Russian River, California. The instruments were located on the mid-shelf mud belt composed of bimodal sandy clayey silts contributed principally by the Russian River. During the summer season of persistent northwesterly, upwelling-favorable winds, the average and maximum current speeds 5 m above the bottom were 11 and 31 cm s^?1, respectively. The mean (subtidal) flow at 5 m above bottom was poleward and slightly offshore at about 6 cm s^?1. The strongest wave-generated bottom currents were about 10 cm s^?1, but oscillatory velocities > 5 cm s^?1 were infrequent. Suspended-matter concentrations, derived from the optical data at 1.9 m above the bottom, ranged from 1 to 6 mg l^?1. The optical data show that the currents and waves were generally below threshold levels for sediment erosion through the summer. In contrast, during the autumn and, particularly, the winter months, the average and maximum concentrations of suspended matter increased substantially. The increases were primarily caused by larger waves from distant storms and short intervals of strong currents associated with local storms and, secondarily, by the large seasonal flow of the Russian River. Wind-driven and wave-generated bottom currents were as large as 37 and 45 cm s^?1, respectively, during local storms in December 1979 and February 1980. Suspended-matter concentrations averaged about 7 mg l^?1 during non-storm winter periods, but increased to nearly 150 mg l^?1 during a December storm. Estimates of suspended-matter flux near the bottom show that the local winter storms, which had a combined duration of about 12 days, could account for 30 to 50% of the total annual suspended-sediment transport at the mid-shelf site. Although intervals of large swell were at times superimposed on southward advective currents, the major sediment-transport events were caused by strong southerly winds that produced poleward bottom currents with a significant offshore component. The primary aspects of the distribution of modern sediments on this shelf are in good agreement with the observed poleward transport.     

Two-dimensional kinematic and rheological modeling of the 1912 pyroclastic flow,Katmai, Alaska

Pyroclastic flow emplacement is strongly influenced by eruption column height. A surface along which kinetic energy is zero theoretically connects the loci of eruption column collapse with all coeval ignimbrite termini. This surface is reconstructed as a two-dimensional energy line for the 1912 Katmai pyroclastic flow in the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes from mapped flow termini and the runup of the ignimbrite onto obstructions and through passes. Extrapolation of the energy line to the vicinity of the source vent at Novarupta suggests the eruption column which generated the ignimbrite eruption was approximately 425 m high. The 1912 pyroclastic flow travelled about 25 km downvalley. Empirical velocity data calculated from runup elevations and surveyed centrifugal superelevations indicate initial velocities near Novarupta were greater than 79–88 m s^–1. The flow progressively decelerated and was travelling only 2–8 m s^–1 when it crossed a moraine 16 km downvalley. The constant slope of the energy line away from Novarupta suggests the flow was systematically slowed by internal and basal friction. Using a simple physical model to calculate flow velocities and a constant kinetic friction coefficient (Heim coefficient) of 0.04 derived from the reconstructed energy line, the flow is estimated to have decelerated at an average rate of –0.16 m s^–2 and to have taken approximately 9.5 minutes to travel 25 km down the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. The shear strength of the flowing ignimbrite at the moraine was approximately 0.5 kPa, and its Bingham viscosity when it crossed the moraine was 3.5 × 10³ P. If the flow was Newtonian, its viscosity was 4.2 × 10³ P. Reynolds and Froude numbers at the moraine were only 41–62 and 0.84–1.04, respectively, indicating laminar, subcritical flow.     

Physical,radiative, and dynamical processes within a nighttime marine stratus cloud

Observations taken by aircraft and conventional platforms are used to investigate dynamical, physical, and radiative processes within a marine stratus cloud during the Canadian Atlantic Storms Program (CASP) II field project which took place over the east coast of Canada. Stratus which formed over the ocean on February 6, 1992 during the nighttime, is studied to analyze cloud top and base processes. The cloud was supercooled during the study period. Fluctuations and fluxes are calculated along constant flight altitude legs approximately 100 km long in space. The scales of structures larger than 5 km are removed from the analysis using a running average technique. Droplet spectra obtained by a forward scattering spectrometer probe (FSSP) were used in a 1-D radiative transfer model to calculate infrared (IR) fluxes and radiative heating rates. A heat conservation equation was used to estimate vertical air velocity (w _a ) within the cloud. The results showed that, because of a warmer ocean surface, significant moisture and heat were transferred from the ocean surface to the boundary layer. The cloud base was at about 400 m height and the top was at about 1.4 km.w _a at the cloud base was estimated about 5 cm s^–1. Strong IR cooling rate at the cloud top was calculated to be 75°C day^–1 for a 100 m thick layer. Negative skewness inw _a , suggesting narrow downdrafts, was likely due to radiative cooling at the cloud top. The entrainment velocity was found to be about 1.5 cm s^–1 at cloud top. Mean moisture and heat fluxes within the cloud were estimated to be comparable to those from the ocean surface. Vertical air velocity at the cloud top due to radiative cooling was found to be about –40 cm s^–1.     

Nutrient distributions over the Southwestern South Atlantic continental shelf from Mar del Plata (Argentina) to Itajaí (Brazil): Winter–summer aspects

Nutrient distributions observed at some depths along the continental shelf from 27°05′S (Brazil) to 39°31′S (Argentina) in winter, 2003 and summer, 2004 related to salinity and dissolved oxygen (mL L⁻¹) and saturation (%) data showed remarkable influences of fresh water discharge over the coastal region and in front of the La Plata estuary. In the southern portion of the study area different processes were verified. Upwelling processes caused by ocean dynamics typical of shelf break areas, eddies related to surface dynamics and regeneration processes confirmed by the increase of nutrients and the decrease of dissolved and saturation oxygen data were verified. High silicate concentrations in the surface waters were identified related to low salinities (minimum of 21.22 in winter and 21.96 in summer), confirming the importance of freshwater inputs in this region, especially in winter. Silicate concentration range showed values between 0.00 and 83.52 μM during winter and from 0.00 to 41.16 μM during summer. Phosphate concentrations worked as a secondary trace of terrestrial input and their values varied from 0.00 to 3.30 μM in winter and from 0.03 to 2.26 μM in summer; however, in shallow waters, phosphate indicated more clearly the fresh water influence. The most important information given by nitrate concentrations was the presence of water from SACW upwelling that represents a new source of nutrients for marine primary production. Nitrate maximum values reached 41.96 μM in winter and 33.10 μM in summer. At a depth ∼800 m, high nitrate, phosphate and silicate concentrations were related to Malvinas Current Waters, Subantarctic Shallow Waters and Antarctic Atlantic Intermediate Waters (AAIW). Dissolved oxygen varied from 3.41 to 7.06 mL L⁻¹ in winter and from 2.65 to 6.85 mL L⁻¹ in summer. The percentage of dissolved oxygen saturation in the waters showed values between 48% and 113% in winter and from 46% to135% in summer. The most important primary production was verified in the summer, and situations of undersaturation were mainly observed below 50 m depth and at some points near the coast. The anti-correlation between nutrients and dissolved oxygen which showed evident undersaturation also revealed important potential sites of remineralization processes. The nutrient behaviours showed some aspects of the processes that occur over the Southwestern South Atlantic continental shelf and in their land–sea interfaces between Mar del Plata and Itajaí.     

The summertime 12-h wind oscillation with zonal wavenumber s = 1 in the lower thermosphere over the South Pole

Meteor radar measurements of winds near 95 km in four azimuth directions from the geographic South Pole are analyzed to reveal characteristics of the 12-h oscillation with zonal wavenumber one (s = 1). The wind measurements are confined to the periods from 19 January 1995 through 26 January 1996 and from 21 November 1996 through 27 January 1997. The 12-h s = 1 oscillation is found to be a predominantly summertime phenomenon, and is replaced in winter by a spectrum of oscillations with periods between 6 and 11.5 h. Both summers are characterized by minimum amplitudes (5–10 ms^–1) during early January and maxima (15–20 ms^–1) in November and late January. For 10-day means of the 12-h oscillation, smooth evolutions of phase of order 4–6 h occur during the course of the summer. In addition, there is considerable day-to-day variability (±5–10 ms^–1 in amplitude) with distinct periods (i.e., 5 days and 8 days) which suggests modulation by planetary-scale disturbances. A comparison of climatological data from Scott Base, Molodezhnaya, and Mawson stations suggests that the 12-h oscillation near 78°S is s = 1, but that at 68°S there is probably a mixture between s = 1 and other zonal wavenumber oscillations (most probably s = 2). The mechanism responsible for the existence of the 12-h s = 1 oscillation has not yet been identified. Possible origins discussed herein include in situ excitation, nonlinear interaction between the migrating semidiurnal tide and a stationary s = 1 feature, and thermal excitation in the troposphere.     

Effects of steep topography on the flow and stratification near Palmyra Atoll

Two interdisciplinary cruises aimed at relating the ecology of marine fish populations to oceanographic conditions were fielded during the late summer and late winter seasons near Palmyra Atoll (5.9°N, 162.1°W) in the Line Islands. Ocean current and hydrographic measurements revealed interaction of the flow with the steep topography. During the first cruise (August/September 1990) satellite-tracked surface drifters and acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) measurements showed a strong eastward setting North Equatorial Counter Current (NECC) with maximum speeds exceeding 1 m s^–1 at 80 m depth approximately. This current turned southeastward on closer approach to Palmyra. The drifter paths exhibited excursions with zonal wavelength of approximately 250 km, meridional amplitude of 25 km and period of approximately 5 days. During the second cruise (February/March 1992), the ADCP-derived speeds of the NECC were weaker (maxima approximately 33 cm s^–1) while the relative geostrophic flow component was of magnitude similar to 1990 and the signal of zonal geostrophic currents reached much deeper to approximately 650 m depth (150 m in 1990). Doming isopycnals beneath the surface mixed layer as well as thick (10–25 m) internal mixed layers were found near Palmyra during both cruises, with slightly different positions relative to the island. The discontinuous vertical temperature profiles may have been a result of strong boundary mixing due to breaking internal waves on Palmyras steep slopes. In the immediate vicinity of the island variations in flow speed, stratification and mixing in both the alongshore and cross-isobath directions were observed. Overall, the current speeds were reduced during February/March 1992, the peak time of the 1991–1993 warm event in the tropical Pacific. While parameters of turbulent two-dimensional wake theory are suggestive of formation and shedding of eddies in the lee of the island, no direct observations of circular motions were made in either expedition.Responsible Editor: Hans Burchard     

Numerical simulation of a mesolow over a Gulf Stream filament

A three-dimensional mesoscale numerical model is used to investigate mesoscale circulation over a Gulf Stream filament. Two numerical experiments are performed with different initial uniform ambient wind speeds (U=0.1 m s^–1, 3.5 m s^–1 and 7 m s^–1) for a typical winter day. It is found that for both low and moderate winds, a closed mesoscale circulation forms over the Gulf Stream filament. When the Gulf Stream filament was removed, the model did not predict a mesoscale circulation. The modeled circulation over the filament is in agreement with the observations, suggesting that the atmospheric circulations over the filaments may be an important mechanism in the U.S. East Coast cyclogenesis.     

The short term response to eutrophication abatement

We compare results of a new model for predicting the short term inter annual changes in chlorophyll-a (chl-a) in lakes after reductions in total phosphorus (TP) to predictions made by least squares regression models. In the new method, slopes of chl-a/TP graphs (both axes in mg · m^–3) are depicted in frequency diagrams and used to extract information on the expected, short term chl-a/TP response. The short term response for nine shallow (< 10 m deep) and nutrient rich lakes to changes in TP was found to be: Chl-a = 0.49 · TP + 17.3, and for nine deep, P-limited lakes: Chl-a = 0.08 · TP + 3.5. If the TP-reduction is known to be greater than 10 mg · m^–3, the expected slope increases to 0.58 for shallow lakes and to 0.26 for deep lakes. The slope, 0.58, is 8% lower than the slope for the long term response calculated by regression for the shallow lakes. For deep lakes the slope, 0.26, is 2 to 3 times higher than that calculated by regression, indicating that reductions in TP for deep lakes give greater effects than least squares regression equations suggest. We have also calculated the reduction in TP which will give about 80% probability that a reduction in chl-a will be observed next year. For shallow, P-limited lakes this reduction is about 30 mg · m^–3 (5% of average initial in-lake TP concentration), and for deep lakes about 14 mg · m^–3 (35% of average initial in-lake TP concentration).     

Deposition, mineralization, and storage of carbon and nitrogen in sediments of the far northern and northern Great Barrier Reef shelf

The flow of carbon and nitrogen in sediments of the far northern and northern sections of the Great Barrier Reef continental shelf was examined. Most of the organic carbon (81–94%) and total nitrogen (74–92%) depositing to the seabed was mineralized, with burial of carbon (6–19%) and nitrogen (8–20%) being proportionally less on this tropical shelf compared with other non-deltaic shelves. Differences in carbon and nitrogen mineralization among stations related best to water depth and proximity to river basins, with rates of mineralization based on net ∑CO₂ production ranging from 17 to 39 ( mean=23) mmol C m⁻² d⁻¹. The overall ratio of O₂:CO₂ flux was 1.3, close to the Redfield ratio, implying that most organic matter mineralized was algal. Sulfate reduction was estimated to account for ≈30% (range: 6–62%), and denitrification for ≈5% (range: 2–13%), of total C mineralization; there was no measurable CH₄ production. Discrepancies between ∑CO₂ production across the sediment–water interface and sediment incubations suggest that as much as 5 mmol m⁻² d⁻¹ (≈25% of ∑CO₂ flux) was involved in carbonate mineral formation. Most microbial activity was in the upper 20 cm of sediment. Rates of net NH₄⁺ production ranged from 1.6 to 2.7 mmol N m⁻² d⁻¹, with highly variable N₂ fixation rates contributing little to total N input. Ammonification and nitrification rates were sufficient to support rapid rates of denitrification (range: 0.1–12.4 mmol N m⁻² d⁻¹). On average, nearly 50% of total N input to the shelf sediment was denitrified. The average rates of sedimentation, mineralization, and burial of C and N were greater in the northern section of the shelf than in the far northern section, presumably due to higher rainfall and river discharge, as plankton production was similar between regions. The relative proportion of plankton primary production remineralized at the seafloor was in the range of 30–50% which is at the high end of the range found on other shelves. The highly reactive nature of these sediments is attributed to the deposition of high-quality organic material as well as to the shallowness of the shelf, warm temperatures year-round, and a variety of physical disturbances (cyclones, trawling) fostering physicochemical conditions favorable for maintaining rapid rates of microbial metabolism. The rapid and highly efficient recycling of nutrients on the inner and middle shelf may help to explain why the coral reefs on the outer shelf have remained unscathed from increased sediment delivery since European settlement.     

Spatio-temporal variability of size fractionated phytoplankton on the shelf adjacent to the Ebro river (NW Mediterranean)

The mesoscale distribution and seasonal variation of the size structure of phytoplankton biomass, as measured by chlorophyll a (chl a), was studied in the Ebro shelf area (NW Mediterranean) during three different seasons: autumn, winter and summer. In autumn and summer, when the water column was, respectively, slightly or strongly stratified and nutrient concentrations were low at surface, average total chl a values were 0.31 and 0.29 mg m⁻³, respectively. In winter, the intrusion of nutrients into the photic zone by intense vertical mixing and strong riverine inputs, produced an increase of the total autotrophic biomass (0.76 mg m⁻³). In the three seasons, the main contributor to total chl a was the picoplanktonic (<2 μm) size fraction (42% in winter and around 60% in autumn and summer). The nanophytoplankton (2–20 μm) contribution to total chl a showed the lowest variability amongst seasons (between 29% and 39%). The microplanktonic (>20 μm) chl a size fraction was higher in winter (27%) than in the other seasons (less than 13%). The maximum total chl a concentrations were found at surface in winter, at depths of 40 m in autumn and between 50 and 80 m in summer. The relative contribution of the <2 μm size fraction at these levels of the water column tended to be higher than at other depths in autumn and winter and lower in summer. In autumn and winter, nutrient inputs from Ebro river discharge and mixing processes resulted in an increase on the >2 μm contribution to total chl a in the coastal zone near the Ebro Delta area. In summer, the contribution of the <2 and >2 μm chl a size fractions was homogeneously distributed through the sampling area. In autumn and summer, when deep chl a maxima were observed, the total amount of the autotrophic biomass in the superficial waters (down to 10 m) of most offshore stations was less than 10% of the whole integrated chl a (down to 100 m or to the bottom). In winter, this percentage increased until 20% or 40%. The >2 μm chl a increased linearly with total chl a values. However, the <2 μm chl a showed a similar linear relationship only at total chl a values lower than 1 mg m⁻³ (in autumn and summer) or 2 mg m⁻³ (winter). At higher values of total chl a, the contribution of the <2 μm size fraction remained below an upper limit of roughly 0.5 mg m⁻³. Our results indicate that the picoplankton fraction of phytoplankton may show higher seasonal and mesoscale variability than is usually acknowledged.     

Extensions of Leovy's linear mesospheric circulation model

Linear mesospheric circulation models can quite realistically simulate mid-latitude mesospheric circulation and structure. In doing so they provide estimates for dissipation (Rayleigh friction 2×10^–6s^–1) and vertical mixing (30 m²s^–1) appropriate near the mesopause.     

A fracture mechanics study of subcritical tensile cracking of quartz in wet environments

Load relaxation and cross-head displacement rate-change experiments have been used to establish log₁₀ stress intensity factor (K) versus log₁₀ crack velocity (v) diagrams for double torsion specimens, of synthetic quartz cracked on thea plane in liquid water and moist air.For crack propagation normal toz and normal tor at 20°C,K _Ic (the critical stress intensity factor) was found to be 0.852±0.045 MN·m^–3/2 and 1.002±0.048 MN·m^–3/2, respectively.Subcritical crack growth at velocities from 10^–3 m·s^–1 to 10^–9 m·s^–1 at temperatures from 20°C to 80°C is believed to be facilitated by chemical reaction between the siloxane bonds of the quartz and the water or water vapour of the environment (stress corrosion). The slopes, of isotherms in theK-v diagrams are dependent upon crystallographic orientation. The isotherms have a slope of 12±0.6 for cracking normal tor and 19.9±1.7 for cracking normal toz. The activation enthalpy for crack propagation in the former orientation in liquid water at temperatures from 20°C to 80°C is 52.5±3.8 kJ·mole^–1.A discussion is presented of the characteristics of theK-v diagrams for quartz.     

Detailed structure of the Kuroshio frontal eddy along the shelf edge of the East China Sea

The detailed three-dimensional structure of the Kuroshio frontal eddy along the shelf edge of the East China Sea is revealed by the CTD, ADCP, and satellite-tracked drifter observations. The length and width of the cold core of the Kuroshio frontal eddy are about 60 and 40 km, respectively, and its phase speed is about 30 cm s^-1. The calculated buoy tracks with the use of the observed ADCP data well reproduce the observed tracks of satellite-tracked drifters around the frontal eddy. The observed maximum horizontal velocity around this frontal eddy are 40 cm s^-1 and the center of this eddy shifts offshore in the deep layer. Nutrient is advected onshore across the shelf edge by passing of this frontal eddy while it is advected offshore without the frontal eddy at the shelf edge.     

Electric field effects on ionospheric and thermospheric parameters above the EISCAT station for summer conditions

Numerical calculations of the thermospheric and ionospheric parameters above EISCAT are presented for quiet geomagnetic conditions in summer. The Global Self-consistent Model of the Thermosphere, Ionosphere and Protonosphere (GSM TIP) was used. The numerical results were obtained both with a self-consistent calculation of the electric fields of magnetospheric and dynamo-action origin and with the magnetospheric electric fields only. It was found that the dynamo-electric field has some effect on the ionospheric convection pattern during quiet geomagnetic conditions. It has a marked effect mainly on the zonal neutral wind component above EISCAT (±20m/s at 140 km altitude). We have studied the effects of various field-aligned current (FAC) distributions on thermosphere/ionosphere parameters and we show that a qualitative agreement can be obtained with region-I and -II FAC zones at 75° and 65° geomagnetic latitude, respectively. The maximum FAC intensities have been assumed at 03–21 MLT for both regions with peak values of 2.5 × 10^–7 Am^–2 (region I) and 1.25 × 10^–7 A m^–2 (region II). These results are in agreement with statistical potential distribution and FAC models constructed by use of EISCAT data. The lack of decreased electron density in the night-time sector as observed by the EISCAT radar was found to be due to the spatial distribution of ionospheric convection resulting from electric fields of magnetospheric origin.     

Phytoplankton dynamics within Gulf Stream intrusions on the southeastern United States continental shelf during summer 1981

During July and August 1981 subsurface intrusion of upwelled nutrient-rich Gulf Stream water was the dominant process affecting temporal and spatial changes in phytoplankton biomass and productivity of the southeastern United States continental shelf between 29 and 32°N latitude. Intruded waters in the study area covered as much as 10¹ km including virtually all of the middle and outer shelf and approximately 50% of the inner shelf area.Within 2 weeks following a large intrusion event in late July, middle shelf primary production and Chl a reached 3 to 4 gC m⁻ d⁻¹ and 75 mg m⁻, respectively. At the peak of the bloom 80% of the water column primary production occurred below the surface mixed-layer, and new primary production (i.e., NO₃-supported) exceeded 90% of the total. Chl a-normalized photosynthetic rates were very high as evidenced by high mean assimilation number (15.5 mg C mg Chl a⁻¹ h⁻¹), high mean α (14 mg C mg Chl a⁻¹ Ein⁻¹ m), and no photoinhibition. As a result of the high photosynthetic rates, mean light-utilization index (Ψ) was 2 to 3 times higher than reported for temperature sub-arctic and arctic waters.The results imply a seasonal (June to August) middle shelf production of 150 g C m⁻¹, about 15% higher than previous estimates of annual production on the middle shelf. Intrusions of the scale we observed in 1981 may not occur every summer. However, when such events do occur, they are by far the most important processes controlling summer phytoplankton dynamics of the middle and outer shelf and of the inner shelf in the southern half of the study area.     

Variability of the subtropical shelf front off eastern South America: Winter 2003 and summer 2004

Hydrographic data collected during surveys carried out in austral winter 2003 and summer 2004 are used to analyze the distributions of temperature (T) and salinity (S) over the continental shelf and slope of eastern South America between 27°S and 39°S. The water mass structure and the characteristics of the transition between subantarctic and subtropical shelf water (STSW), referred to as the subtropical shelf front (STSF), as revealed by the vertical structure of temperature and salinity are discussed. During both surveys, the front intensifies downward and extends southwestward from the near coastal zone at 33°S to the shelf break at 36°S. In austral winter subantarctic shelf water (SASW), derived from the northern Patagonia shelf, forms a vertically coherent cold wedge of low salinity waters that locally separate the outer shelf STSW from the fresher inner shelf Plata Plume Water (PPW) derived from the Río de la Plata. Winter T–S diagrams and cross-shelf T and S distributions indicate that mixtures of PPW and tropical water only occur beyond the northernmost extent of pure SASW, and form STSW and an inverted thermocline characteristic of this region. In summer 2004, dilution of Tropical water (TW) occurs at two distinct levels: a warm near surface layer, associated to PPW–TW mixtures, similar to but significantly warmer than winter STSW, and a colder (T∼16 °C) salinity minimum layer at 40–50 m depth, created by SASW–STSW mixtures across the STSF. In winter, the salinity distribution controls the density structure creating a cross-shore density gradient, which prevents isopycnal mixing across the STSF. Temperature stratification in summer induces a sharp pycnocline providing cross-shelf isopycnal connections across the STSF. Cooling and freshening of the upper layer observed at stations collected along the western edge of the Brazil Current suggest offshore export of shelf waters. Low T and S filaments, evident along the shelf break in the winter data, suggest that submesoscale eddies may enhance the property exchange across the shelf break. These observations suggest that as the subsurface shelf waters converge at the STSF, they flow southward along the front and are expelled offshore, primarily along the front axis.