Remote forcing of subsurface currents and temperatures near the northern limit of the California Current System

Abstract

AbstractLocal and remote wind forcing of upwelling along continental shelves of coastal upwelling regions play key roles in driving biogeochemical fluxes, including vertical net fluxes of carbon and nutrients. These fluxes are responsible for high primary productivity, which in turn supports a lucrative fishery in these regions. However, the relative contributions of local versus remote wind forcing are not well quantified or understood. We present results of coherence analyses between currents at a single mooring site (48.5°N, 126°W) in the northern portion of the California Current System (CalCS) from 1989 to 2008 and coincident time series of North America Regional Reanalysis (NARR) 10 m wind stress within the CalCS (36–54°N, 120–132°W). The two‐decade‐long current records from the three shallowest depths (35, 100, and 175 m) show a remote response to winds from south as far as 36°N. In contrast, only temperatures at the deepest depth (400 m) show strong coherences with remote winds. Weaker local wind influence is observed in both the currents and 400 m temperatures but is mostly due to the large spatial coherence within the wind field itself. Lack of coherence between distal winds and the 400 m currents suggests that the temperature variations at that depth are driven by vertical motion resulting from poleward travelling coastal trapped waves (CTWs). Understanding the effects of remote forcing in coastal upwelling regions is necessary for determining the occurrence and timing of extreme conditions in coastal oceans, and their subsequent impact on marine ecosystems.