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To determine the accuracy of nearshore winds from the QuikSCAT satellite, winds from three satellite datasets (scientifically processed swath, gridded near-real-time, and gridded science datasets) were compared to those from 12 nearshore and 3 offshore U.S. West Coast buoys. Satellite observations from August 1999 to December 2000 that were within 25 km and 30 min of each buoy were used. Comparisons showed that satellite–buoy wind differences near shore were larger than those offshore. Editing the satellite data by discarding observations recorded in rain and those recorded in light winds improved the accuracy of all three datasets. After removing rain-flagged data and wind speeds less than 3 m s[sup -1] , root-mean-squared differences (satellite minus buoy) for swath data, the best of the three datasets, were 1.4 m s[sup -1] and 37° based on 5741 nearshore comparisons. By removing winds less than 6 m s[sup -1] , these differences were reduced to 1.3 m s[sup -1] and 26°. At the three offshore buoys, the root-mean-squared differences for the swath data, with both rain and winds less than 6 m s[sup -1] removed, were 1.0 m s[sup -1] and 15° based on 1920 comparisons. Although the satellite's scientifically processed swath data near shore do not match buoy observations as closely as those offshore, they are sufficiently accurate for many coastal studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Velocity, temperature, and salinity profile surveying in Monterey Submarine Canyon during spring tide reveals an internal wave field almost an order of magnitude more energetic than that in the open ocean. Semidiurnal fluctuations and their harmonics dominate, near-inertial motions are absent. The ratio of horizontal kinetic to available potential energy is less than one in much of the canyon, inconsistent with hydrostatic internal waves. The excess potential energy may be due to isopycnal displacements induced by barotropic tide flow over the sloping bottom. Removal of the expected barotropic contribution raises the energy ratio to 2.04-2.10, in line with the semidiurnal internal wave value of 2.13. Finescale shear and strain are also elevated. Finescale parameterizations for turbulent eddy diffusivities, which have proven successful in the open ocean, underestimate upper-canyon microstructure estimates of 100 x 10[sup -4] m² s[sup -1] by a factor of 30. Energy fluxes and near-bottom velocities are strongly steered by the sinuous canyon topography. A vertically integrated influx of 5 kW m[sup -1] at the mouth diminishes to ± 1 kW m[sup -1] toward the shallow end of the canyon. Both sinks and sources of internal wave energy are indicated by energy-flux convergences and divergences along the canyon axis. Along-axis energy-flux convergences are consistent with microstructure dissipation rates ε. The high diapycnal eddy diffusivities may drive strong nutrient fluxes to enhance bioproductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]