Abstract
The velocity structure in the bottom boundary layer (BBL) in the Middle Atlantic Bight (MAB) is investigated using data derived from the Shelf Edge Exchange Processes (SEEP-II) experiment to test theoretical predictions of the effects of cross-shelf buoyancy flux on the BBL which are thought to contribute to frontogenesis at the shelfbreak. The cross-shelf flow is bottom intensified with a direction veering consistent with that of a frictional boundary layer with rotation. The BBL thickness based on veering angle ranges from 8 to 40 m with a velocity dependence complicated by stratification that is dependent on frontal position. There is evidence of the asymmetry in the BBL thickness expected for the cross-shelf buoyancy flux during up- and downwelling events. However, the velocity structure does not define a sharp upper boundary to the BBL as given by simple one-dimensional model calculations and suggests that there must be other sources of turbulence in addition to bottom friction.
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