Spatio-temporal patterns of stratification on the Northwest Atlantic shelf

Abstract

A spatially explicit stratification climatology is constructed for the Northwest Atlantic continental shelf using daily averaged hydrographic fields from a 33-year high-resolution, data-assimilated reanalysis dataset. The high-resolution climatology reveals considerable spatio-temporal heterogeneity in seasonal variability with strong interplay between thermal and haline processes. Regional differences in the magnitude and phasing of the seasonal cycle feature earlier development/breakdown in the Middle Atlantic Bight (MAB) and larger peaks on the shelf than in the Gulf of Maine (GoM). The relative contribution of the thermal and haline components to the overall stratification is quantified using a novel diagram composed of two key ratios. The first relates the vertical temperature gradient to the vertical salinity gradient, and the second relates the thermal expansion coefficient to the haline contraction coefficient. Two distinct regimes are identified: the MAB region is thermally-dominated through a larger portion of the year, whereas the Nova Scotian Shelf and the eastern GoM have a tendency towards haline control during the year. The timing of peak stratification and the beginning/end of thermally-positive and thermally-dominant states are examined. Their spatial distributions indicate a prominent latitudinal shift and regionality, having implications for the seasonal cycle of ecosystem dynamics and its interannual variability.