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The Slope Sea is the dynamic ocean region located between the United States and Canadian northeast continental shelves and the northeastward flowing Gulf Stream (GS) located farther offshore. Here we define it as located between the 200-m isobath and the monthly GS sea surface temperature (SST) front from −75° to −55° E. Monthly mean near-surface eddy kinetic energy (EKE) was computed for the Slope Sea using surface geostrophic current anomalies derived from gridded 1993–2016 Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMEMS) sea height anomalies. Long-term, monthly mean Slope Sea EKE anomalies show a robust seasonal cycle with a winter (February) minimum and summer (June) maximum. This agrees with both seasonally-varying density stratification and dissipation and also the seasonal variation in the formation of GS WCRs within the Slope Sea. The RMS of the Slope Sea EKE seasonal cycle generally increased after 2002 by a factor of up to ∼2 relative to prior years. The seasonal cycle of Slope Sea EKE displayed higher EKE in the vicinity of the New England Seamount Chain (NESC) that extends towards the shelf break front from approximately −67° E to −63° E. Interannual variability of annual mean near-surface EKE from individual digitized GS warm core ring (WCR) observations from a Bedford Institute of Oceanography (BIO) WCR database is highly correlated with Slope Sea EKE. However, interannual variability of annual mean near-surface EKE computed from a census of all newly formed WCRs displayed only a weak correlation. Many of the WCRs from both the BIO and WCR census displayed anomalously low EKE values and were observed within the northern Slope Sea away from the GS. Some were located inshore of the position of the climatological mean shelf break front. WCRs with higher EKE were located throughout the Slope Sea, with higher numbers in the vicinity of the NESC. The many observations of the less energetic features located close to or inshore of the mean shelf break front suggest they are important to cross-shelf fluxes of heat, salt, nutrients, shelf biota. They therefore likely impact the shelf ecosystem, similar to the more energetic and typical WCRs impacting the outer shelf as discussed by earlier workers. • Altimeter-derived currents describe eddy kinetic energy changes in the slope sea. • Slope sea eddy kinetic energy displays strong seasonal and inter-annual variation. • Slope sea eddies display large variation in strength and formation location. • Eddy kinetic energy changes do not support the warm-core ring regime shift of 2000. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variability in along-shelf and cross-shelf circulation in the South Atlantic Bight (SAB) is investigated using altimetry observations. Satellite-derived along-shelf velocity anomalies are in good agreement with independent near-surface current measurements from moored acoustic Doppler current profilers and surface velocities from high frequency radar at adjacent locations. This is especially true if wind-driven Ekman velocities are added to the geostrophic velocities, suggesting that the influence of Ekman dynamics to surface along-shelf flow in the SAB is unusually large. The decade-long time series reveals substantial seasonal variability in surface velocities, with peak poleward anomalies during late spring and summer and strong equatorward flow during autumn. Convergences and divergences in the along-shelf transport between two cross-sections are compared with three-dimensional numerical model results and used to estimate cross-shelf transport across the 50 m isobath in the SAB. The calculation suggests a pattern of weak offshore flow during spring followed by prolonged and relatively stronger offshore flow during summer and early autumn, while cross-shelf velocity anomalies during winter are weak and slightly onshore. Prolonged offshore flow following the peak in river discharge that generally occurs in spring indicates the potential for the establishment of a conduit for offshore export of riverine material. The long-term time series also reveals several large events of interannual variability, including the 2003 cold event observed in the SAB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seasonal variability of the hydrology and the poleward subsurface Peru-Chile Undercurrent (PCUC) off the central Chilean coast (29–41°S) were examined using a high-resolution regional model. The model realistically reproduced observed sea level variability, such as intense anticyclonic eddies, the offshore intensification of the poleward flow and the reduced nearshore equatorward flow during autumn, as well as the equatorward intensification of nearshore meandering flow during spring. Values for geostrophic eddy kinetic energy were high along the coast between 30° and 37°S, and lower south of this area. The modelled poleward undercurrent showed latitudinal variability in velocity and transport. The maximum average transport reported was 0.8 Sv near 30°S, consistent with previous modelling studies and estimations derived from in situ observations. The poleward reduction in undercurrent strength was shown to be partly generated by the poleward decrease in wind stress curl and by the formation of a westward jet near 35°S associated with westward-propagating eddies. A Lagrangian analysis of the modelled water parcels transported by the undercurrent shows that only 14–20% of the subsurface floats transported by the undercurrent upwelled into the surface layer within the subsequent six months after their release. The floats remaining within the subsurface layer were likely transported further south by the current, offshore by westward-propagating eddies or equatorward by the deeper part of the surface coastal current. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wind-driven circulation and wind-induced coastal upwelling in a large shelf sea with a zonally oriented coast are examined. The Yucatan shelf is located to the north of the Yucatan peninsula in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. This area is a tropical shallow body of water with a smooth sloping bottom and is one of the largest shelves in the world. This study describes the wind-driven circulation and wind-induced coastal upwelling in the Yucatan shelf, which is forced by easterly winds throughout the year. Data obtained from hydrographic surveys, acoustic current profilers and environmental satellites are used in the analysis. Hydrographic data was analyzed and geostrophic currents were calculated in each survey. In addition an analytical model was applied to reproduce the currents. The results of a general circulation model were used with an empirical orthogonal function analysis to study the variability of the currents. The study area is divided in two regions: from the 40 m to the 200 m isobaths (outer shelf) and from the coast to the 40 m isobath (inner shelf). At the outer shelf, observations revealed upwelling events throughout the year, and a westward current with velocities of approximately 0.2 m s −1 was calculated from the numerical model output and hydrographic data. In addition, the theory developed by Pedlosky (2007) for a stratified fluid along a sloping bottom adequately explains the current’s primary characteristics. The momentum of the current comes from the wind, and the stratification is an important factor in its dynamics. At the inner shelf, observations and numerical model output show a wind-driven westward current with maximum velocities of 0.20 m s −1 . The momentum balance in this region is between local acceleration and friction. A cold-water band is developed during the period of maximum upwelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper documents dynamics of the middle Adriatic region, and is based on computation of relative geostrophic currents from temperature and salinity data taken along the Palagruža Sill transect between 1957 and 2010. The strongest westward current is found in the central part of the sill, corresponding to the offshore deflected Eastern Adriatic Current (EAC). The Western Adriatic Current (WAC) is, as expected, found in the southern part of the measured transect. The WAC is most significant during the summer season and exhibits stronger variability than the EAC due to the frequent growth of eddies within it. Long-term trends in both the central and southern parts of the sill oppose mean currents, indicating the weakening of the EAC and WAC and therefore of the entire Adriatic thermohaline cell. These opposing trends have not been reproduced by a climate model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Horizontal density structure in the surface Chukchi Sea (in ice-free conditions) is investigated through analysis of high-resolution CTD data from two glider surveys. Temperature and salinity fields in the summer/fall surface layer indicate that horizontal temperature, salinity and density variability extends down to submesoscales. Horizontal temperature and salinity gradients in the surface layer are universally non-compensating, with salinity dominating the density variability. Spectral slopes of (k is horizontal wavenumber) of horizontal potential density variance in the surface layer were found over 0.5 to 20km wavelengths, consistent with quasi-geostrophic turbulence scaling. The character of horizontal density structure in the surface Arctic Ocean differs from spectra commonly observed in the lower latitudes. The observed submesoscale fronts play a role in setting surface-layer properties by restratifying the surface layer, in opposition to forcing such as winds that vertically mix the surface ocean. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Hydrographic and velocity data collected during 11 surveys at the Chesapeake Bay entrance were used to assess fortnightly variations in the lateral structure of the subtidal water exchange and density stratification. The bay entrance extends from Cape Henry to Fishermans Island and features two channels, Chesapeake Channel and North Channel. The channels are separated by Middle Ground (<10m deep) and Six-Meters shoal. Water density data were available in 8 of the 11 surveys, but current velocity data were available for all surveys. The structure of density and velocity were analyzed by comparing river discharge and wind forcing. Seasonal river input modified the eddy viscosity coefficient, through stratification changes, and became the main factor determining the velocity structure. Bathymetry, wind forcing and fortnightly tidal variations were the other modifiers. Scenarios with similar river input and wind forcing conditions showed consistent structures and they were clearly influenced by neap and spring tidal conditions. Stronger vertical stratification occurred during springs rather than during neaps in the Chesapeake Channel, in contrast to what is observed in the North Channel and to what typically would be expected elsewhere from fortnightly variability. Consistent with the vertical stratification pattern, increased transverse density gradients and two-layer circulation developed over Middle Ground and Six-Meters Shoal during spring tides. Confined to the Chesapeake Channel longitudinal velocity seems to result in larger and closer to the channel transverse density gradient during springs than during neaps and consequently larger transverse velocities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: An intense oceanic front was detected at the west of Mallorca Island (Balearic sub-basin of the North Western Mediterranean Sea) during an oceanographic survey in December 2009. This contribution analyses the hydrography and geostrophic motions observed at the front, together with the ageostrophic motion derived from the omega equation. The front separated resident Atlantic water (to the north) from more recent Atlantic water (to the south). Maximum upward vertical velocities of 6m/day were found at the northern side of the front, related with relative maxima of dissolved oxygen and fluorescence. The vertical velocities in this study are mainly due to relative vorticity advection. AVISO altimetry data is used to discuss the advection of the front over a nearby mooring equipped with temperature and salinity sensors at 300m below the sea surface. The biological implications of the front are discussed by means of acoustic backscatter data. There is an observed increase in mesopelagic fish biomass at the frontal area. Our hypothesis states that the vertical velocities associated to the front would lead to the observed increase in mesopelagic biomass near the front, which is in agreement with previous studies in other frontal systems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Hydrographic observations based on XBT, XCTD, CTD, and ADCP were performed around the eastern mouth of the Tsugaru Strait in June 2003. This study aims to describe the hydrographic structure of the eastern mouth focusing on the subarctic Oyashio water occupying the northern part, and to discuss the intrusion pathway of this water and its modification after the intrusion. Residual and absolute geostrophic velocities show a nearly barotropic inflow (0–25cm/s) and outflow (0–80cm/s) structures in the northern and southern parts of the strait mouth, respectively. In the north, the Oyashio water, classified as the near-bottom and modified Oyashio waters in this study, inflows into the strait. It is inferred that the near-bottom water is changed to the modified Oyashio water after the intrusion by diapycnal mixing and outflow as the modified Oyashio water from underneath of the Tsugaru Warm Current (TWC) water in the deepest part of the strait mouth, together with the TWC water. Horizontal salinity distribution suggests that the near-bottom water is supplied along the isopycnal surface from the subsurface of Hidaka Bay deeper than the strait. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Flow fluctuations inside an anticyclonic eddy in summertime Funka Bay were examined using three moorings and hydrographic data. The flow pattern above a sharp pycnocline with a concave isopycnal structure during the mooring period was characterized by high mean kinetic energy and relatively low eddy kinetic energy. The ratios of eddy to mean kinetic energy were equal to or less than one, and the mean flow field and isopycnal structure indicated the existence of a stable anticyclonic eddy above the sharp pycnocline under approximate geostrophic balance. Larger flow fluctuations with periods longer than 7 days were dominant inside the eddy. The low-frequency flow fluctuations are accompanied by north to northeastward movement of the eddy with deepening of the pycnocline and spin-up of the anticyclonic circulation. The wind field over Funka Bay is characterized by bay-scale wind fluctuations. The bay-scale winds are greatly influenced by the land topography around Funka Bay, resulting in non-uniform structure with significant wind stress curl. The bay-scale wind fluctuations are termed “locally modified wind” in the present study. The locally modified wind has a negative (positive) wind stress curl in the central–northeastern (southwestern) region of Funka Bay. The north to northeastward movement of the eddy is caused by horizontal non-uniform supply of vorticity from the locally modified wind forcing by the Ekman pumping process. Through this process, the anticyclonic circulation is enhanced (weakened) in the central–northeastern (southwestern) part of the eddy, resulting in the eddy moving north to northeastward with the pycnocline deepening and spin-up of the anticyclonic circulation. The locally modified wind forcing induces low-frequency flow fluctuations through the movement of the eddy in summertime Funka Bay. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The mechanisms governing dispersion processes in the northern Yucatan coast are investigated using a barotropic numerical model of coastal circulation, which includes wind-generated and large scale currents (i.e. Yucatan Current). This work provides the foundations for studying the dispersion of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the area. Modelling experiments include effects of climatic wind (from long term monthly mean NCEP reanalysis), short term wind events (from in situ point measurements), and Yucatan Current (YC) characteristics. Its magnitude was approximated from published reports, and its trajectory from geostrophic current fields derived from altimeter data. These provided a range of real and climatic conditions to study the routes in which phytoplankton blooms may travel. The 2-D model results show that a synthetic and conservative bloom seeded in the Cabo Catoche (CC) region (where it usually grows), moves along the coast to the west up to San Felipe (SF), where it can either move offshore, or carry on travelling westwards. The transport to the west up to SF is greatly influenced by the trajectory, intensity and proximity of the YC jet to the peninsula, which enhances the westward circulation in the Yucatan Shelf. Numerical experiments show that patch dispersion is consistently to the west even under the influence of northerly winds. When the YC flows westward towards the Campeche Bank, momentum transfer caused by the YC jet dominates the dispersion processes over wind stress. On the other hand, when it flows closer to Cuba, the local processes (i.e. wind and bathymetry) become dominant. Coastal orientation and the Coriolis force may be responsible for driving the patch offshore at SF if external forcing decreases. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Ushant tidal front is the dominant feature of the summer season hydrological structure of the Iroise Sea. It separates tidally mixed coastal waters from thermally stratified open Celtic Sea waters. This article reports on observations made in September 2007 during two short cruises that took place aboard R/V “Côtes de la Manche”, and gives a general account of the physical structure of the front along one cross-frontal transect. The data set comprises data from a 4 month ADCP mooring, short CTD/fluorescence/nutrients transects, Lagrangian drifter trajectories, and HF radar surface current measurements. One finding is that the surface and bottom fronts, being affected by different dynamical influences, are not necessarily coincident in the vertical. This entails that the opposite density gradients located above and below the thermocline depth do not necessarily compensate, and can each be associated with a significant surface geostrophic expression. A second finding is that mixing effects bear a very strong influence on the thermal structure of the warm-water intrusions associated with frontal cyclonic eddies of the kind described by Pingree [1978. Cyclonic eddies and cross-frontal mixing. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 58 (4), 955–963]. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A historical data set is used to describe the coastal transition zone off Northwest Africa during spring 1973 and fall 1975, from 17° to 26°N, with special emphasis on the interaction between subtropical (North Atlantic Central Waters) and tropical (South Atlantic Central Waters) gyres. The near-surface geostrophic circulation, relative to 300m, is quite complex. Major features are a large cyclonic pattern north of Cape Blanc (21°N) and offshore flow at the Cape Verde front. The large cyclone occurs in the region of most intense winds, and resembles a large meander of the baroclinic southward upwelling jet. The Cape Verde frontal system displays substantial interleaving that may partly originate as mesoscale features at the coastal upwelling front. Property–property diagrams show that the front is an effective barrier to all properties except temperature. The analysis of the Turner angle suggests that the frontal system is characterized by large heat horizontal diffusion as a result of intense double diffusion, which results in the smoothing of the temperature horizontal gradients. Nine cross-shore sections are used to calculate along-shore geostrophic water-mass and nutrient transports and to infer exchanges between the coastal transition zone and the deep ocean (import: deep ocean to transition zone; export: transition zone to deep ocean). These exchanges compare well with mean wind-induced transports and actual geostrophic cross-shore transport estimates. The region is divided into three areas: southern (18–21°N), central (21–23.5°N), and northern (23.5–26°N). In the northern area geostrophic import is roughly compensated with wind-induced export during both seasons. In the central area geostrophic import is greater than wind-induced export during spring, resulting in net import of both water (0.8Sv) and nitrate (14kmols−1), but during fall both factors again roughly cancel. In the southern area geostrophy and wind join to export water and nutrients during both seasons, they increase from 0.6Sv and 3kmols−1 during fall to 2.9Sv and 53kmols−1 during spring. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In January/February 2004 a ship cruise into the Arkona Sea (Western Baltic) happened to start just prior to a medium-size inflow event and to last until a few days after the inflow. The bottom layer of saline inflow water in the southern Sound has a current speed of up to 1m/s. The current bifurcates at Kriegers Shoal, where only the smaller branch follows the contour lines of the bathymetry at the western rim of the basin, while the main flow proceeds on the steepest path north of Kriegers Shoal. The pycnocline tilt due to geostrophy matches with current observations in both branches. Old bottom water in the basin is lifted up by the denser inflow and pushed forward to Bornholm Gate. Inflow from the Darss Sill at first consists of low-salinity Baltic surface water and a small amount of higher salinity water at the bottom. After a few days the water over the sill is mixed and moves east, establishing a strong subsurface current at the southern rim of the Arkona Basin. Neither the inflow through the Sound nor the water masses from the Darss Sill reached the Bornholm Gate in the east of the Arkona Sea before the end of the survey. The saline outflow observed there consists of bottom water that had been present in the Arkona Sea prior to the new inflow. Overflow water spreading on the sea bottom is modified by entrainment from the low salinity water body above. Best guesses of the entrainment rate, somewhat tentative due to salinity variations at the entrance, are in line with formulae from the literature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Upcoming satellite missions will observe the sea surface height (SSH) fields at a very high spatial resolution, which has generated an urgent need to better understand how well geostrophy can represent the ocean current field at finer scales, particularly in coastal regions characterized by complex flow geometry. We conduct statistical and spectral analyses of high-resolution surface currents and SSHs off the Oregon coast to examine the relative contribution of geostrophy and ageostrophy in coastal ocean currents. We analyze forward numerical simulations based primarily on a regional ocean model (ROMS) and use regional observations of high-frequency radar (HFR)-derived surface currents and altimeter-derived geostrophic currents and a subset of global domain numerical simulations (MITgcm) as secondary resources. Regional submesoscale ageostrophic currents account for up to 50% of the total variance and are primarily associated with near-inertial currents and internal tides. Geostrophy becomes dominant at time scales longer than 3 to 10 days and at spatial scales longer than 50 km, and is dependent on the depth and distance from the coast in the cross-shore direction. Ageostrophy dominates in the near-inertial and super-inertial frequency bands, which correspond to near-inertial motions (Coriolis force dominates) and high-frequency internal waves/tides (pressure gradient dominates), respectively. Because of ageostrophy, it may not be possible to estimate submesoscale currents from SSHs obtained from upcoming satellite missions using the geostrophic relationship. Thus, other concurrent high-resolution in-situ observations such as HFR-derived surface currents, together with data assimilation techniques, should be used for constructive data integration to resolve submesoscale currents. • Dynamical relationships between coastal surface currents and SSHs are examined. • Delineation of geostrophy and ageostrophy and their balance are presented. • Coastal ageostrophy is attributed to near-inertial variance and internal tides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ADCP profiles near the sea bed, at a 130 m depth continental shelf, were used to estimate the mean veering of the velocity vectors using a complex correlation coefficient. An analytic expression for the veering vertical gradient (∂ θ / ∂ z) as function of turbulent Ekman layer thickness (δ E) was developed and, using constant eddy viscosity assumptions, sea bottom stress and additional turbulent boundary layer features were evaluated. Further statistics on the time series yields median values for δ E of about 13 m, eddy viscosity A z = 4.2 × 10−3 m2s−1 and median bottom stress of 9.2 × 10−2 Pa, thus leading to high Reynolds numbers. Very good agreement is obtained between observations and bottom Ekman balance solutions according to determination coefficients assessed (R ≥ 0.99). • 530 Ekman spirals observed from a time series of sub-inertial currents profiles. • An expression relating the eddy viscosity and the currents veering is developed. • Statistics on turbulent bottom Ekman layer parameters. • Bottom stress calculated from eddy viscosity and geostrophic currents inferred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]