Surface pulses in the lower St. Lawrence Estuary

Abstract

Temperature, salinity, sea level and meteorological data from the ‘couplage entre les processus physiques et biogéochimiques’ (COUPPB) study of 1990 were examined to determine the forcing of fresh water pulses in the lower St. Lawrence Estuary. Anchor stations, during and after the passage of a pulse event, indicated that profound changes occurred in the hydrography at the head of the Laurentian Channel. A factor analysis of rotated eigenmodes of surface temperature and salinity indicated three co‐varying groups ‐ the first, on the north shore of the river, the second, on the south slope of the Laurentian Channel and the third in the middle of the estuary. A multivariate regression was used to relate salinity and temperature variations to forcing variates. It was found that sea level elevation and local winds accurately predicted fluctuations on the north shore. Salinity and temperature fluctuations on the south shore were best explained by propagation. In the middle of the estuary, salinity fluctuations were only weakly explained by propagation while temperature fluctuations could not be predicted by any of the forcing variates.     

Tidal circulation and buoyancy effects in the St. Lawrence Estuary

Abstract

The action of tides on density‐driven circulation, internal gravity waves, and mixing was investigated in the St. Lawrence Estuary between Rimouski and Québec City. Time‐varying fields of water level, currents and density were computed under typical summer conditions using a three‐dimensional hydrostatic coastal ocean model that incorporates a second order turbulence closure submodel. These results are compared with current meter records and other observations. The model and the observations reveal buoyancy effects produced by tidal forcing. The semi‐diurnal tide raises the isopycnals over the sills at the head of the Laurentian Trough and English Bank, producing internal tides radiating seaward. Relatively dense intermediate waters rise from below 75‐m depth to the near surface over the sills, setting up gravity currents on the inner slopes. Internal hydraulic controls develop over the outer sills; during flood, surface flow separation occurs at the entrances of the Saguenay Fjord and the upper estuary west of Ilet Rouge Bank. Early during ebb flow (restratification), the surface layer deepens to encompass the tops of the sills. As the ebb current intensifies, the model predicts the formation of seaward internal jumps over the outer sills, which were confirmed from acoustic reflection observations. As the internal Froude number increases further, flow separation migrates up to sill height. As a result of these transitions, internal bores emanate from the head region one to two hours before low water. We find that the mixing of oceanic and surface waters near the sills is driven by the vertical shear produced during ebb in the channel south of Ilet Rouge, the shear produced in the bottom gravity flood currents, and, to a lesser extent, the processes over the sills.     

Acidification of Lower St. Lawrence Estuary Bottom Waters

Accumulation of metabolic CO₂ can acidify marine waters above and beyond the ongoing acidification of the ocean by anthropogenic CO₂. The impact of respiration on carbonate chemistry and pH is most acute in hypoxic and anoxic basins, where metabolic CO₂ accumulates to high concentrations. The bottom waters of the Lower St. Lawrence Estuary (LSLE), where persistently severe hypoxia has developed over the last 80 years, is one such case. We have reconstructed the evolution of pH in the bottom waters from historical and recent data, and from first principles relating the stoichiometry of CO₂ produced to oxygen consumed during microbial degradation of organic matter. Based on the value of the atmospheric partial pressure of CO₂ that best reproduces the preformed dissolved inorganic carbon concentration in the bottom waters, we estimate the average ventilation age of the bottom waters to be 16?±?3 years. The pH of the bottom waters has decreased by 0.2 to 0.3 over the last 75 years, which is four to six times greater than can be attributed to the uptake of anthropogenic CO₂. The pH decrease is accompanied by a decline in the saturation state with respect to both calcite and aragonite. As of 2007, bottom waters in the LSLE are slightly supersaturated with respect to calcite (Ω_c?≈?1.06?±?0.04) but are strongly undersaturated with respect to aragonite (Ω_a?≈?0.67?±?0.03).

     

Properties of unstable waves in the lower St Lawrence Estuary

Abstract

The lower St Lawrence Estuary is an interesting case amongst estuaries in that it is wide enough to accommodate the development of mesoscale unstable waves and eddies. These features are generated by the runoff‐driven jet along this body's south shore. We present data yielding estimates of the length, time and velocity scales of these unstable disturbances. To relate these quantities to the dynamics we employ a 2‐layer quasigeos‐trophic instability model featuring realistic lateral shear. All model runs show short time and length scales, e‐folding periods of less than 10 days and wavelengths less than 50 km.     

Projected Changes in Surface Air Temperature and Surface Wind in the Gulf of St. Lawrence

Abstract

The impacts of climate change on surface air temperature (SAT) and winds in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (GSL) are investigated by performing simulations from 1970 to 2099 with the Canadian Regional Climate Model (CRCM), driven by a five-member ensemble. Three members are from Canadian Global Climate Model (CGCM3) simulations following scenario A1B from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC); one member is from the Community Climate System Model, version 3 (CCSM3) simulation, also following the A1B scenario; and one member is from the CCSM4 (version 4) simulation following the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP8.5) scenario. Compared with North America Regional Reanalysis (NARR) data, it is shown that CRCM can reproduce the observed SAT spatial patterns; for example, both CRCM simulations and NARR data show a warm SAT tongue along the eastern Gulf; CRCM simulations also capture the dominant northwesterly winds in January and the southwesterly winds in July. In terms of future climate scenarios, the spatial patterns of SAT show plausible seasonal variations. In January, the warming is 3°–3.5°C in the northern Gulf and 2.5°–3°C near Cabot Strait during 2040–2069, whereas the warming is more uniform during 2070–2099, with SAT increases of 4°–5°C. In summer, the warming gradually decreases from the western side of the GSL to the eastern side because of the different heat capacities between land and water. Moreover, the January winds increase by 0.2–0.4?m?s^?1 during 2040–2069, related to weakening stability in the atmospheric planetary boundary layer. However, during 2070–2099, the winds decrease by 0.2–0.4?m?s^?1 over the western Gulf, reflecting the northeastward shift in northwest Atlantic storm tracks. In July, enhanced baroclinicity along the east coast of North America dominates the wind changes, with increases of 0.2–0.4?m?s^?1. On average, the variance for the SAT changes is about 10% of the SAT increase, and the variance for projected wind changes is the same magnitude as the projected changes, suggesting uncertainty in the latter.     

Eddy fluxes and mean flow tendencies in open-ocean baroclinic instability

Linear normal-mode instabilities of a mean flow varying over many internal radii of deformation are considered. Attention is devoted not to the instabilities themselves, but to the second-order effects of such instabilities on the mean flow. These are derived analytically from solutions by Killworth. The effects on symmetric profiles are very different from those on asymmetric profiles. Specifically, the tendencies are much larger in the latter case with the strongest tendency being on the barotropic part of the mean flow; this tendency apparently attempts to make the profile more symmetric.     

A study of the planetary boundary layer over the polynya downwind of St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea using aircraft data

Turbulence data collected with the gust probe system on the NOAA P-3 aircraft over the polynya downwind of St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea are used to study the fluxes of heat, momentum, and moisture from the polynya. The data also allow study of the effect of the topography of St. Lawrence Island on the atmospheric boundary-layer flow over the polynya and ultimately on ice production in the polynya. Two cases are studied: one (Feb. 15, 1982) where the topographic effects are minimal and the other (Feb. 18, 1983) where the topographic effects are dominant. Calculation of the surface drag coefficient, C _D, for the Feb. 15, 1982 case over young grey/white ice gave a value of 1.2 × 10^-3, which is in close agreement with previous results. The value of the drag coefficient for the grey/white ice regime on Feb. 18, 1983, where the upstream topography on St. Lawrence Island had an important influence on the flow over the polynya, was 3.2 × 10^-3. It was determined that this higher value was related to the more efficient mixing of momentum downward by turbulent eddies generated by flow over and around the topography. The area-averaged heat transfer coefficient, C _H, over the polynya was on the order of 1.1 × 10^-3 for both days, but there were large variations in heat flux across the polynya due to variations in the flow caused by the topography. Conditional sampling techniques applied to the turbulence data showed that the fractional areas occupied by updrafts and downdrafts were 28% and 36%, respectively, and that these results were within the range of values found in previous studies for over-land and over-ocean conditions.     

Downstream development of baroclinic waves in the midlatitude jet induced by extratropical transition: A case study

This study uses eddy kinetic energy analysis and a targeting method to investigate how an extratropical transition(ET)event induced downstream development(the modification of the midlatitude flow downstream of the ET system) in the midlatitude jet environment. The downstream development showed distinct characteristics of "coupling development" and being "boundary-trapped". Eddies(potential disturbances) first developed at the upper levels, and these triggered lower-level eddy development, with all eddies decaying away from the tropopause and the surface. Thereafter, a lower-level eddy caught up with the upper-level eddy ahead of it, and they coupled to form a cyclone extending through the whole troposphere. Vertical ageostrophic geopotential flux may be a crucial dynamic factor throughout the eddy's lower-level growth, boundary-trapping,and coupling development.Together with barotropic conversion, the ageostrophic geopotential fluxes that were transported from Hurricane Fabian(2003) to the midlatitudes by the outflow led to downstream ridge development in the upper-level jet. The strong downstream advection of eddy kinetic energy in the exit region of the jet streak triggered downstream trough development. The well-known ridge–trough couplet thus formed. The vertical ageostrophic fluxes that were transported downward from the developed upper-level systems converged near the surface and resulted in lower-level eddy growth. Baroclinic conversion was negligible near the boundaries, while it was the main source of eddy kinetic energy at mid-levels. In the upper-level jet, potential energy was converted to the mean kinetic energy of the jet, which in turn was converted to eddy kinetic energy through barotropic conversion.     

球面斜压大气中上传行星波与纬向平均气流的相互作用

本文指出在球面斜压大气中的行星尺度扰动与纬向平均气流相互作用中必须考虑非地转风分量对位涡度南北方向输送的作用,从而证明了球面大气中行星尺度运动的波作用守恒,并求得球面大气中的行星尺度扰动与纬向平均气流相互作用的欧拉平均运动方程组。 本义利用1979年2月的实际天气观测资料分析了北半球一次对流层阻塞形势建立与平流层爆发性增温过程的行星波与纬向平均气流的相互作用。从分析结果可以看到:由于行星波向上传播,使得在高纬度对流层中、上层出现行星波的波作用通量(也称E-P通量)辐合,使得西风气流减速,因而在高纬度对流层中、上层形成阻塞形势。并且,随着行星波的继续向上传播,使得平流层下、中层的基本气流相继减速并出现东风,因而在平流层下、中层出现爆发性增温。然而,由于高纬度对流层低层出现东风,行星波不能往上传播,在上层波的E-P通量矢量变成辐散,气流由东风又变成西风。     

Abrupt change of flow pattern in baroclinic atmosphere forced by joint effects of diabatic heating and orography

Based on the catastrophic theory, the possible causes of abrupt change in the atmospheric circulation over the Northern Hemisphere during June and October have been explored by Li and Luo (1983) and Miao and Ding (1933). However these studies are confined to the baroiropic atmosphere without consideration of orography. The purpose of this paper is to further study the physical mechanism of the abrupt change of flow pattern within the baroclinic atmosphere in the presence of orography. Results show that the abrupt change of flow pattern can be stimulated by the gradual variation of a diabaticaily heating parameter, which is similar to the observed fact about the rapid shift of position of the subtropical high center in the upper troposphere along the zonal direction during seasonal transition from the summer half year to the winter one.     

非绝热加热和地形共同强迫下斜压大气的环流突变

本文用低谱途径研究了非绝热加热和地形共同强迫下斜压大气流型的突变,结果与由夏至冬季节转换期间,对流层上层副热带高压从高原经度急速东移到大洋上空的观测事实相似.     

Modelling of cloud formation due to air-sea interactions in an energy-active zone

A mesoscale 3D numerical model is described, with which detailed calculations have been made of turbulence and wind characteristics in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL), as well as cloud particle size distribution, longwave and solar radiation fluxes and flux divergences, and atmosphere-ocean heat exchange. Based on numerical experiments simulating winter conditions of the Newfoundland energy-active zone of the ocean (EAZO), atmosphere-ocean energy exchange is investigated. It is shown that the basic mechanisms for the EAZO formation involve the following processes: (i) at the hydrological front between cold and warm ocean currents, the fluxes of sensible and latent heat grow significantly; (ii) at this front, in a particular synoptic situation, overcast low-level cloudiness forms, screening solar radiation so that in winter, the radiation budget at the front is reduced, and the radiative flux into the ocean is less than the energy release to the atmosphere; (iii) frequent occurrence of such synoptic situations with cloudiness decreases the oceanic enthalpy and creates negative SST anomalies. The transport of these anomalies by currents to the western coasts of the continents causes anomalies of weather and climate.     

Observational and theoretical studies of the moist baroclinic atmosphere

In this paper, the main scientific conclusions of a national wide project of heavy summer rainstorms are presented. The active role of the moisture in the large scale motion of the atmosphere is stressed when the water vapour is saturated. The concept of moist baroclinity is introduced, and moist baroclinic processes are studied. Theoretical results, i. e., moist solenoid, moist available potential energy, moist jet, moist baroclinic instability, etc. are presented. Some observational and numerically experimental results are also shown.     

夏季风过渡区的陆-气相互作用：述评与展望

夏季风过渡区是受夏季风影响最敏感的区域之一,其陆-气相互作用对夏季风气候动力学过程响应明显,该区域的陆-气相互作用及其对夏季风活动的响应是一个值得关注的重要科学问题。分析了中国夏季风过渡区的形成及其基本特征,讨论了夏季风过渡区陆-气相互作用过程研究的主要关注点,初步推测了该地区陆-气相互作用对夏季风变化的响应机制。指出该地区陆-气相互作用研究包含了多重互馈机制、陆面水-热-生过程耦合、近地层到自由大气的多界面交换、季风多尺度作用和特殊的陆面水分循环等一系列重要科学问题。同时,总结归纳了该领域的主要研究进展和关键科学问题,提出了未来应该重点研究的7个方面,并初步给出了研究试验的基本思路。为未来系统深入研究夏季风过渡区陆-气相互作用及其对夏季风活动响应问题提供了科学指导。      

斜压大气中的特征波动和地转适应过程

本文对斜压大气的小扰动方程作了严格和全面的数学分析:论证了关于垂直边界条件的正确提法以及初始场一些特殊问题,澄清了迄今不正确的和混乱的提法;给出了解的存在、唯一和稳定性的证明。在这基础上,对大气的特征波动作了分类,并证明内波的能量总是向宇宙空间弥散掉,最终强度趋于零。因此,即使扰动的水平范围为无限,或者严格地考虑到地球表面为球面,也有地转适应过程,这是以在未研究过的机理。     

On the theory of a steady circulation in a baroclinic ocean

Some results are presented of numerical experiments associated with calculations of stationary fields of current velocity and temperature in the ocean. Results obtained by two different approaches to the theory of ocean circulation are compared: without regard for horizontal exchange under conditions of bottom sticking and with due regard for horizontal exchange in case of bottom slipping.     

Numerical experiments for the influence of the transition zone migration on summer climate in north china

1.IntroductionManyobservationsshowthatNorthChina,especiallythePlainofNorthChina,isoneofthemostseveredroughtareasinChina.Thedroughtdisastersoccurwithahighfrequencyandawiderange,andsustainalongtime.Moreover,thehightemperatureusuallyaccomPaniesthedroughtinthecorresPOndingPeriod.Thesummerrainfallin1997islessthanhalfofnormal.Itisthemostseveredroughtdisasterduringrecentdecades.Theregionalclimateanomaliesarenodoubtinfluencedbytheglobalclimatechange.However,manyrecentobservationsandnumericalstud…     

Estimating the baroclinic Rossby radius of deformation in the Sea of Okhotsk

The first baroclinic Rossby radius of deformation (R ₁) in the Sea of Okhotsk is estimated using the hydrological datasets from the World Ocean Atlas (WOA) 2001 and WOA 2013. It is established that the maximum values of R ₁ are observed over the Kuril Basin (18–20 km), and its minimum values (1.5–2 km), over the northern shelf of the Sea of Okhotsk. In the central part of the sea R1 varies from 8 to 10 km. The seasonal variability of R1 for both datasets is characterized by the minima in winter and by the maxima in summer. It was found that on the eastern shelf of Sakhalin Island R ₁ reaches the maximum both in November (～6 km) and in April (～4-5 km). According to the obtained estimates of R ₁, the model grid resolution of 3 to 8 km should be used for the eddy-permitting numerical simulation of circulation in the Sea of Okhotsk, and the model grid resolution from 1.5 to 2 km, for the explicit simulation of mesoscale variability.