Abstract
Abstract. Two high-frequency (HF) radar stations were installed on the coast of the south-eastern Bay of Biscay in 2009, providing high spatial and temporal resolution and large spatial coverage of currents in the area for the first time. This has made it possible to quantitatively assess the air–sea interaction patterns and timescales for the period 2009–2010. The analysis was conducted using the Barnett–Preisendorfer approach to canonical correlation analysis (CCA) of reanalysis surface winds and HF radar-derived surface currents. The CCA yields two canonical patterns: the first wind–current interaction pattern corresponds to the classical Ekman drift at the sea surface, whilst the second describes an anticyclonic/cyclonic surface circulation. The results obtained demonstrate that local winds play an important role in driving the upper water circulation. The wind–current interaction timescales are mainly related to diurnal breezes and synoptic variability. In particular, the breezes force diurnal currents in waters of the continental shelf and slope of the south-eastern Bay. It is concluded that the breezes may force diurnal currents over considerably wider areas than that covered by the HF radar, considering that the northern and southern continental shelves of the Bay exhibit stronger diurnal than annual wind amplitudes.
Highlights
The Bay of Biscay, located in the eastern North Atlantic Ocean, is characterised by its complex submarine topography
That most of the research undertaken on the surface circulation, in the south-eastern coastal and continental shelf areas (Ibanez, 1979; Gonzalez et al, 2004; Fontan et al, 2006; Fontan et al, 2009; and Fontan et al, 2013) together with that attempted in the south-eastern continental slope of the Bay (Caballero et al, 2008; Gonzalez et al, 2008; Abascal et al, 2009; and Rubio et al, 2013), has been focused on short-term datasets and fixed locations or model simulations
The new results and the main conclusions obtained from the diagnostic of wind-induced currents in the south-eastern Bay of Biscay can be summarised as follows
Summary
The Bay of Biscay, located in the eastern North Atlantic Ocean, is characterised by its complex submarine topography. Herbert et al (2011) concluded that the slope surface currents are partially driven by wind forcing on daily timescales, as the local wind tends to favour or prevent the extension of the geostrophic current It should be underlined, that most of the research undertaken on the surface circulation, in the south-eastern coastal and continental shelf areas (Ibanez, 1979; Gonzalez et al, 2004; Fontan et al, 2006; Fontan et al, 2009; and Fontan et al, 2013) together with that attempted in the south-eastern continental slope of the Bay (Caballero et al, 2008; Gonzalez et al, 2008; Abascal et al, 2009; and Rubio et al, 2013), has been focused on short-term datasets and fixed locations (moored buoys) or model simulations.
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