Vertical Profiles Of Salinity Research Articles

Short-term variability on mesozooplankton community in a shallow mixed estuary (Bahía Blanca, Argentina): Influence of tidal cycles and local winds

The short-term dynamics of zooplankton in coastal ecosystems are strongly influenced by physical processes such as tides, riverine runoff and winds. In this study, we investigated the short-term changes of the representative taxa within mesozooplankton in relation to the semidiurnal tidal cycles. Also, we evaluated the influence of local winds on this short-term variability. Sampling was carried out bimonthly from December 2004 to April 2006 in a fixed point located in the inner zone of the Bahía Blanca Estuary, Argentina. Mesozooplankton samples were taken by pumps during 14-h tidal cycles at 3-h intervals, from surface and bottom. Vertical profiles of temperature and salinity as well as water samples to determine suspended particulate matter were acquired at each sampling date. All data concerning winds were obtained from a meteorological station and water level was recorded with a tide gauge. Holoplankton dominated numerically on meroplankton and adventitious fraction. Concerning holoplanktonic abundance, the highest values were attained by the calanoid copepods Acartia tonsa and Eurytemora americana. Meroplankton occurred mainly as barnacle larvae while benthic harpacticoids and Corophium sp. dominated the adventitious component. Semidiurnal tide was the main influence on the A. tonsa variability. However, noticeable differences in the abundance pattern as function of wind intensity were detected. Meroplankton abundance did not show a clear variation along the tidal cycle. Distributional pattern of harpacticoids seemed to be mainly modulated by velocity asymmetries in the tidal currents, in the same way as suspended particulate matter. However, the Corophium sp. distribution indicated probable behavioural responses associated with tides. The obtained results show how variable the mesozooplankton community structure can be over short-term time scales in mesotidal temperate estuaries. This variability should be taken into account for any zooplankton monitoring program conducted in temperate systems with a high-tidal regime but also to register changes in zooplankton community at a fine temporal scale.

Assimilating Along-Track Altimetric Observations through Local Hydrostatic Adjustment in a Global Ocean Variational Assimilation System

Abstract A global ocean three-dimensional variational data assimilation system was developed with the aim of assimilating along-track sea level anomaly observations, along with in situ observations from bathythermographs and conventional sea stations. All the available altimetric data within the period October 1992–January 2006 were used in this study. The sea level corrections were covariated with vertical profiles of temperature and salinity according to the bivariate definition of the background-error vertical covariances. Sea level anomaly observational error variance was carefully defined as a sum of instrumental, representativeness, observation operator, and mean dynamic topography error variances. The mean dynamic topography was computed from the model long-term mean sea surface height and adjusted through an optimal interpolation scheme to account for observation minus first-guess biases. Results show that the assimilation of sea level anomaly observations improves the model sea surface height skill scores as well as the subsurface temperature and salinity fields. Furthermore, the estimate of the tropical and subtropical surface circulation is clearly improved after assimilating altimetric data. Nonnegligible impacts of the mean dynamic topography used have also been found: compared to a gravimeter-based mean dynamic topography the use of the mean dynamic topography discussed in this paper improves both the consistency with sea level anomaly observations and the verification skill scores of temperature and salinity in the tropical regions. Furthermore, the use of a mean dynamic topography computed from the model long-term sea surface height mean without observation adjustments results in worsened verification skill scores and highlights the benefits of the current approach for deriving the mean dynamic topography.

FIELD OBSERVATION AND NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF SALT WEDGE IN THE TONE RIVER ESTUARY

Dynamic motion of salt wedge was investigated in the Tone River estuary by field experiment and numerical flow simulation. In the field experiment, vertical profiles of salinity and velocity were measured from a boat pursuing the head of salt wedge along the deepest line of the channel. Being based on the collected data, characteristics of the velocity and the structure of the salt wedge front under transitional condition of flow rate and tide were discussed. Numerical flow simulation by using a vertical 2-D k-e model reproduced the major characteristics of the motion of salt wedge obtained from the field measurement quantitatively: (a) dependency of the distance of salt wedge invasion on tide amplitude, (b) a time lag of the salt wedge motion behind the tide oscillation, and (c) asymmetric tendency of the motion of salt wedge at ebb tide and the flood tide.

High-resolution modelling of the shelf and open ocean adjacent to South Georgia, Southern Ocean

The marine ecosystem on the shelf and open ocean adjacent to South Georgia is extraordinarily rich, with a history of commercial exploitation. Although much progress has been made, attempts at modelling (and hence better understanding) this system have consistently been hampered by the poor representation of key physical processes in global or regional ocean general circulation models. Here we present the development of a high-resolution 3D hydrodynamic model of the South Georgia shelf and the adjacent open ocean, including a novel method for prescribing freshwater fluxes. The ability of the model to reproduce the observed oceanography of the region is quantified by comparisons with data from tide gauges at South Georgia, with satellite-derived sea surface temperatures, and with an extensive CTD dataset collected during January–April 1995. Predicted cotidal charts for the diurnal tides O 1 and K 1 show a periodic amplification in both the current and elevation fields at the shelf edge, suggesting the presence of a diurnally forced continental shelf wave. This could have important implications for processes such as larval transport and retention. The comparison with CTD data reveals mean and root mean square errors in temperature (salinity) of –0.27 °C (−0.07) and 0.64 °C (0.23), respectively. Vertical profiles of potential temperature and salinity on the shelf agree acceptably well with observations, but there is a tendency for the model to under-predict the density contrast between surface and bottom waters. The main limitation on model accuracy is found to be the large-scale forcing. Releasing a passive tracer into the model, transport and retention pathways are identified, including a prevalence for tracer export from the shelf to the west of South Georgia, and a transport pathway linking South Georgia and Shag Rocks. Significantly, the model suggests this to be a unidirectional link, from South Georgia to Shag Rocks, with possible significance for fisheries management. The implications of these results in the context of the South Georgia ecosystem are discussed briefly, demonstrating the usefulness of this new tool for interdisciplinary studies of the region.

ESTUÁRIO DO RIO CAMBORIÚ-SC: VARIAÇÃO INTRAMAREAL E TRANSPORTE RESIDUAL DE NUTRIENTES, COP E CLOROFILA-a EM CONDIÇÕES DE QUADRATURA E SIZÍGIA

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the intratidal variability and to quantify the net transport of dissolved nutrients, particulate organic carbon (POC) and Chlorophyll a in the estuary of the Camboriu River during neap and spring tides. Two 25-hour continuous sampling surveys were carried out, covering two tidal cycles on each situation. On each survey, continuous records of direction and velocity of currents and vertical profiles of salinity and temperature were obtained, as well as samples of surface and botton water. The distribution of dissolved nutrients was determined by the tide during spring tide conditions and by the river discharge during neap tide conditions. In the spring tide the net transports of DIN, DIP, Si, POC and Chla-a through the estuary were -2.6x104, -0.9x103,-9.9x103 e -1.9x103 (mol/d) and 50 (g/d), respectively. In the neap tide, the net transports of DIN, DIP, Si, POC and Cla-a were -1.5x104, -0.35x103, -23x103, -4.4x103 (mol/d) e -2.0x103 g/d, respectively. The largest transfers of Si and POC in the neap tide may be associated to the rainy period in this situation. The smallest transport of DIN and DIP can be explained by its adsorption into the particulate material and by its biological consumption. The second hypothesis is reinforced by the export of Cla-a from the estuary.

CARACTERIZAÇÃO HIDRODINÂMICA DO ESTUÁRIO DO RIO CUBATÃO, JOINVILLE.

Este trabalho apresenta uma caracterização preliminar da hidrodinâmica do estuário do Rio Cubatão baseada em dados hidrográficos obtidos durante uma campanha de treze horas (um ciclo completo de maré) em condições de maré de sizígia. Dados de velocidade e direção de corrente, salinidade, temperatura e turbidez foram obtidos à 1,5 m abaixo da superfície, próximo da desembocadura do estuário com o fundeio de um correntógrafo acústico. Perfis verticais de salinidade e temperatura foram realizados próximos ao fundeio a cada hora com um CTD para fornecer a estrutura vertical. Perfis de CTD também foram realizados ao longo do estuário durante a preamar. Os resultados mostram que o estuário do Rio Cubatão apresenta-se verticalmente homogêneo com períodos menores de estratificação durante a vazante. O regime de maré mostra uma assimetria acentuada, com correntes de vazante muito mais intensas do que as correntes de enchente.

Fluorescence measured in situ as a proxy of CDOM absorption and DOC concentration in the Baltic Sea

This study presents results from field surveys performed in 2008 and 2009 in the southern Baltic in different seasons. The main goal of these measurements was to identify the empirical relationships between DOM optical properties and DOC. CDOM absorption and fluorescence and DOC concentrations were measured during thirteen research cruises. The values of the CDOM absorption coefficient at 370 nm aCDOM(370) ranged from 0.70 m −1 to 7.94 m, and CDOM fluorescence intensities (ex./em. 370/460) IFl, expressed in quinine sulphate equivalent units, ranged from 3.88 to 122.97 (in filtered samples). Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations * This study was funded by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education through grant No. NN 306-2942-33 for the research project entitled ‘Spectral properties of CDOM absorption and fluorescence and their relationship with Dissolved Organic Carbon concentration in the Baltic Sea’. The principle investigator was Piotr Kowalczuk. The research infrastructure, including access to the research vessel r/v ‘Oceania’, was provided by the Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot, Poland. Partial support for this study was also provided by the project Satellite Monitoring of the Baltic Sea Environment – SatBaltyk, co-founded by the European Union through European Regional Development Fund contract No. POIG 01.01.02-22-011/09. The complete text of the paper is available at http://www.iopan.gda.pl/oceanologia/ 432 P. Kowalczuk, M. Zablocka, S. Sagan, K. Kulinski ranged from 266.7 to 831.7 μM C. There was a statistically significant linear relationship between the fluorescence intensity measured in the filtered samples and the CDOM absorption coefficient aCDOM(370), R 2 = 0.87. There was much more scatter in the relationship between the fluorescence intensity measured in situ (i.e. in unprocessed water samples) and the CDOM absorption coefficient aCDOM(370), resulting in a slight deterioration in the coefficient of determination R = 0.85. This indicated that the presence of particles could impact fluorometer output during in situ deployment. A calibration experiment was set up to quantify particle impact on the instrument output in raw marine water samples relative to readings from filtered samples. The bias calculated for the absolute percentage difference between fluorescence intensities measured in raw and filtered water was low (−2.05%), but the effect of particle presence expressed as the value of the RMSE was significant and was as high as 35%. Both DOM fluorescence intensity (in raw water and filtered samples) and the CDOM absorption coefficient aCDOM(370) are highly correlated with DOC concentration. The relationship between DOC and the CDOM absorption coefficient aCDOM(370) was better (R = 0.76) than the relationship between DOC and the respective fluorescence intensities measured in filtered and raw water (R = 0.61 and R = 0.56). The seasonal cycle had an impact on the relationship between DOC and CDOM optical properties. The hyperbolic relationships between aCDOM(370) vs. carbon-specific absorption coefficient a∗CDOM(370), and IFl vs. the ratio of fluorescence intensity to organic carbon concentration IFl/DOC were very good. The discharge and mixing of riverine waters is a primary driver of variability in DOC and CDOM optical properties in the surface waters of the southern Baltic Sea, since all the parameters considered are negatively correlated with salinity. It was found that there was a positive trend of increasing values of DOM optical parameters with salinity increase (within a range of 8–12) in deep water below the permanent pycnocline. Evidence is also presented to show that late-summer photodegradation was responsible for the depletion of CDOM florescence intensities in the mixed layer above the seasonal thermocline. It was further demonstrated that the DOC concentration increases in the stagnant waters of the Baltic Sea deeps. The Integrated Optical-Hydrological Probe, which registers high-resolution vertical profiles of salinity, temperature, CDOM and the optical properties of water, confirmed that DOM optical proxies can be used in studies of DOM biogeochemical cycles in the Baltic Sea.

Sensitivity of oxygen dynamics in the water column of the Baltic Sea to external forcing

Abstract. A 1-D biogeochemical/physical model of marine systems has been applied to study the oxygen cycle in four stations of different sub-basins of the Baltic Sea, namely, in the Gotland Deep, Bornholm, Arkona and Fladen. The model consists of the biogeochemical model of Neumann et al. (2002) coupled with the 1-D General Ocean Turbulence Model (GOTM). The model has been forced with meteorological data from the ECMWF reanalysis project for the period 1998–2003, producing a six year hindcast which is validated with datasets from the Baltic Environmental Database (BED) for the same period. The vertical profiles of temperature and salinity are relaxed towards both profiles provided by 3-D simulations of General Estuarine Transport Model (GETM) and observed profiles from BED. Modifications in the parameterisation of the air-sea oxygen fluxes have led to a significant improvement of the model results in the surface and intermediate water layers. The largest mismatch with observations is found in simulating the oxygen dynamics in the Baltic Sea bottom waters. The model results demonstrate the good capability of the model to predict the time-evolution of the physical and biogeochemical variables at all different stations. Comparative analysis of the modelled oxygen concentrations with respect to observation data is performed to distinguish the relative importance of several factors on the seasonal, interannual and long-term variations of oxygen. It is found that natural physical factors, like the magnitude of the vertical turbulent mixing, wind speed and the variation of temperature and salinity fields are the major factors controlling the oxygen dynamics in the Baltic Sea. The influence of limiting nutrients is less pronounced, at least under the nutrient flux parameterisation assumed in the model.

Integration of Argo trajectories in the Mediterranean Forecasting System and impact on the regional analysis of the western Mediterranean circulation

The impact of Argo float trajectory assimilation on the quality of ocean analyses is studied by means of an operational oceanographic model implemented in the Mediterranean Sea and a 3D‐Var assimilation scheme. For the first time, both Argo trajectories and vertical profiles of temperature and salinity (TS) together with satellite altimeter data of sea level anomaly (SLA) are assimilated to produce analyses for short‐term forecasts. The study period covers 3 months during winter 2005 when four Argo trajectories were present in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea. The scheme is first assessed computing the misfits between observations and model forecast and analysis. The misfit statistics appear improved for float trajectories, while they are not degraded for the other assimilated variables (TS profiles and SLA). This indicates that the trajectory integration is consistent with the other components of the assimilation system and provides new information on horizontal pressure gradients. Comparisons between analyses obtained with and without trajectory assimilation suggest that trajectory assimilation can have an impact on the description of boundary currents and their instabilities, as well as mesoscale activity at regional scales. Changes are depicted by intermediate water mass redistributions, mesoscale eddy relocations, and net transport modulations. These impacts are detailed and assessed considering historical and simultaneous in situ data sets. The results motivate the integration of Argo trajectories in the operational Mediterranean Forecasting System.

Modeling brine and nutrient dynamics in Antarctic sea ice: The case of dissolved silica

Sea ice ecosystems are characterized by microalgae living in brine inclusions. The growth rate of ice algae depends on light and nutrient supply. Here, the interactions between nutrients and brine dynamics under the influence of algae are investigated using a one‐dimensional model. The model includes snow and ice thermodynamics with brine physics and an idealized sea ice biological component, characterized by one nutrient, namely, dissolved silica (DSi). In the model, DSi follows brine motion and is consumed by ice algae. Depending on physical ice characteristics, the brine flow is either advective, diffusive, or turbulent. The vertical profiles of ice salinity and DSi concentration are solutions of advection‐diffusion equations. The model is configured to simulate the typical thermodynamic regimes of first‐year Antarctic pack ice. The simulated vertical profiles of salinity and DSi qualitatively reproduce observations. Analysis of results highlights the role of convection in the lowermost 5–10 cm of ice. Convection mixes saline, nutrient‐poor brine with comparatively fresh, nutrient‐rich seawater. This implies a rejection of salt to the ocean and a flux of DSi to the ice. In the presence of growing algae, the simulated ocean‐to‐ice DSi flux increases by 0–115% compared to an abiotic situation. In turn, primary production and brine convection act in synergy to form a nutrient pump. The other important processes are the flooding of the surface by seawater and the percolation of meltwater. The former refills nutrients near the ice surface in spring. The latter, if present, tends to expell nutrients from the ice in summer.

Measuring Salinity within Shallow Piezometers:Comparison of Two Field Methods

The objective of this study is to understand the validity of salinity vertical profiles collected from shallow piezometers that are not previously flushed. This study shows that salinity data collected from boreholes are only an average value along the entire screened section of the piezometer. In order to collect data that is rep-resentative for the salinity of the adjacent aquifer, a new monitoring strategy has been developed. This strat-egy includes measurement of the salinity at the top of the watertable in an auger hole which is a shallow boreholes made with an handheld drill. This should be combined with measurements in piezometers that are first flushed to take out stagnant water. From the piezometers on can measure the average salinity of the screened part and the salinity at the bottom of the aquifer. By using this monitoring strategy it is also possi-ble to define where the piezometers screens are located if this is not known beforehand.

Observed Subseasonal Variability of Oceanic Barrier and Compensated Layers

Abstract A monthly gridded analysis of barrier-layer and compensated-layer width based on observed vertical profiles of temperature and salinity and covering the period 1960–2007 is explored for evidence of subseasonal variability and its causes. In the subtropics and midlatitudes this variability is mostly evident during the local cold season when barrier layers and compensated layers are present. There is significant variability of anomalous (nonseasonal) barrier-layer and compensated-layer width on interannual periods, while in the North Pacific longer-term changes are also detectable. In the winter North Pacific a salinity-stratified barrier layer exists at subpolar latitudes. Farther south along the Kuroshio Extension a compensated layer exists. The width of the barrier layer varies from year to year by up to 60 m while compensated-layer width varies by half as much. During the observation period the barrier-layer width decreased in response to a strengthening of the Aleutian low pressure system, the resulting strengthening of dry northerly winds, and a decrease of precipitation. In contrast, the compensated-layer width increased in response to this pressure system strengthening and related amplification of the midlatitude westerly winds, the resulting increase of net surface heat loss, and its effect on the temperature and salinity of the upper-ocean water masses. The tropical Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans all have permanent barrier layers. Their interannual variability is less than 20 m but is comparable in magnitude to the time mean barrier-layer width in these areas. In the tropical Pacific west of 160°E and in the eastern tropical Indian Ocean, the barrier-layer width changes by approximately 5 m in response to a 10-unit change in the Southern Oscillation index. It thickens during La Niñas as a result of the presence of abundant rainfall and thins during dry El Niños. Interannual variations of barrier-layer width in the equatorial Pacific are weak east of 160°E with an exception of the area surrounding the eastern edge of the warm pool. Here subduction of salty water contributes to locally stronger variations of barrier-layer width.

Characterizing Thermohaline Intrusions in the North Pacific Subtropical Frontal Zone

Abstract A monthlong field survey in July 2007, focused on the North Pacific subtropical frontal zone (STFZ) near 30°N, 158°W, combined towed depth-cycling conductivity–temperature–depth (CTD) profiling with shipboard current observations. Measurements were used to investigate the distribution and structure of thermohaline intrusions. The study revealed that local extrema of vertical salinity profiles, often used as intrusion indicators, were only a subset of a wider class of distortions in thermohaline fields due to interleaving processes. A new method to investigate interleaving based on diapycnal spiciness curvature was used to describe an expanded class of laterally coherent intrusions. STFZ intrusions were characterized by their overall statistics and by a number of case studies. Thermohaline interleaving was particularly intense within 5 km of two partially compensated fronts, where intrusions with both positive and negative salinity anomalies were widespread. The vertical and cross-frontal scales of the intrusions were on the order of 10 m and 5 km, respectively. Though highly variable, the slopes of these features were typically intermediate between those of isopycnals and isohalines. Although the influence of double-diffusive processes sometime during the evolution of intrusions could not be excluded, the broad spectrum of the observed features suggests that any role of double diffusion was secondary.

Spawning of North Sea fishes linked to hydrographic features

AbstractSpawning of fishes takes place across a wide area of the North Sea. However, more intense spawning is seen in restricted areas, indicating that such areas present favorable conditions. To update information on fish spawning in the North Sea and analyze potential linkages to hydrographic characteristics, an internationally coordinated survey was conducted in the winter/spring of 2004. Oblique hauls for fish eggs and larvae and vertical profiles of temperature and salinity were carried out at 393 stations across the entire North Sea. The hydrography was strongly influenced by the interfacing of water masses of different salinity, and frontal zones were seen along all coastal areas and off the Dogger and Fisher Banks. Total abundances of eggs and larvae, including fish species such as cod, haddock, plaice, long rough dab and sandeel, peaked in the vicinity of the frontal areas. Hence our findings indicate that the main spawning locations of fish are linked to recurrent hydrographic features such as salinity fronts. Such a linkage may provide survival advantages, as the fronts present favorable feeding conditions, and the related physical processes may confine egg and larval dispersal and transport them towards suitable nursery habitats.

Tidal and river discharge forcing upon water and sediment circulation at a rock-bound estuary (Guadiana estuary, Portugal)

The relative impacts of tidal (neap, spring) and river discharge (including a flood event) forcing upon water and sediment circulation have been examined at the rock-bound Guadiana estuary. Near-bed and vertical profiles of current, salinity, turbidity, plus surface suspended sediment concentrations (SSC, at some stations only), were collected at the lower and central/upper estuary during tidal and fortnightly cycles. In addition, vertical salinity and turbidity profiles were collected around high and low water along the estuary. Tidal asymmetry produced faster currents on the ebb than on the flood, especially at the mouth. This pattern of seaward current dominance was enhanced with increasing river flow, due to horizontal advection that was confined within the narrow estuarine channel. The freshwater inputs and, at a degree less, the tidal range controlled the vertical mixing and stratification importance. Well-mixed (spring) and partially stratified (neap) conditions alternated during periods of low river flows, with significant intratidal variations induced by tidal straining (especially at the partially stratified estuary). Highly stratified conditions developed with increasing river discharge. Intratidal variability in the pycnocline depth and thickness resulted from current shear during the ebb. A salt wedge with tidal motion was observed at the lower estuary during the flood event. Depending on the intensity of turbulent mixing, the residual water circulation was dominantly controlled either by tidal asymmetry or gravitational circulation. The SSC was governed by cyclical local processes (resuspension, deposition, mixing, advection) driven by the neap-spring fluctuations in tidal current velocities. More, intratidal variability in stratification indicated the significance of tidal pumping at the partially and highly stratified estuary. The estuary turbidity maximum (ETM) was enhanced with increasing current velocities, and displaced downstream during periods of high river discharge. During the flood event, the ETM was expelled out of the estuary, and the SSC along the estuary was controlled by the sediment load from the drainage basin. Under these highly variable river flow conditions, our observations suggest that sand is exported to the nearshore over the long-term (>years).

Consequences of coastal upwelling events on physical and chemical patterns in the central Gulf of Finland (Baltic Sea)

The consequences of a coastal upwelling event on physical and chemical patterns were studied in the central Gulf of Finland. Weekly mapping of hydrographical and -chemical fields were carried out across the Gulf between Tallinn and Helsinki in July–August 2006. In each survey, vertical profiles of temperature and salinity were recorded at 27 stations and water samples for chemical analyses (PO 4 3−, NO 2 −+NO 3 −) were collected at 14 stations along the transect. An ordinary distribution of hydrophysical and -chemical variables with the seasonal thermocline at the depths of 10–20 m was observed in the beginning of the measurements in July. Nutrient concentrations in the upper mixed layer were below the detection limit and nutriclines were located just below or in the lower part of the thermocline. In the first half of August, a very intense upwelling event occurred near the southern coast of the Gulf when waters with low temperature and high salinity from the intermediate layer surfaced. High nutrient concentrations were measured in the upwelled water – 0.4 μmol l −1 of phosphates and 0.6 μmol l −1 of nitrates+nitrites. We estimated the amount of nutrients transported into the surface layer as 238–290 tons of phosphorus (P)-PO 4 3− and 175–255 tons of N-NO x for a 12 m thick, 20 km wide and 100 km long coastal stretch. Taking into account a characteristic along-shore extension of the upwelling of 200 km, the phosphate-phosphorus amount is approximately equal to the average total monthly riverine load of phosphorus to the Gulf of Finland. It is shown that TS-characteristics of water masses and vertical distribution of nutrients along the study transect experienced drastic changes caused by the upwelling event in the entire studied water column. TS-analysis of profiles obtained before and during the upwelling event suggests that while welled up, the cold intermediate layer water was mixed with the water from the upper mixed layer with a share of 85% and 15%. We suggest that the coastal upwelling events contribute remarkably to the vertical mixing of waters in the Gulf of Finland. Intrusions of nutrient-rich waters along the inclined isopycnal surfaces in the vicinity of upwelling front were revealed. The upwelling event widened the separation of phosphocline and nitracline which in turn prevented surfacing of nitrate+nitrite-nitrogen during the next upwelling event observed a week after the upwelling relaxation. A suggestion is made that such widening of nutricline separation caused by similar upwelling events in early summer could create favourable conditions for late summer cyanobacterial blooms.

Predicting Mesoscale Variability of the North Atlantic Using a Physically Motivated Scheme for Assimilating Altimeter and Argo Observations

A computationally efficient scheme is described for assimilating sea level measured by altimeters and vertical profiles of temperature and salinity measured by Argo floats. The scheme is based on a transformation of temperature, salinity, and sea level into a set of physically meaningful variables for which it is easier to specify spatial covariance functions. The scheme also allows for sequential correction of temperature and salinity biases and online estimation of background error covariance parameters. Two North Atlantic applications, both focused on predicting mesoscale variability, are used to assess the effectiveness of the scheme. In the first application the background is a monthly temperature and salinity climatology and skill is assessed by how well the scheme recovers Argo profiles that were not assimilated. In the second application the backgrounds are short-term forecasts made by an eddy-permitting model of the North Atlantic. Skill is assessed by the quality of forecasts with lead times of 1–60 days. Both applications show that the scheme has useful skill.

Linear and non-linear T– S models for the eastern North Atlantic from Argo data: Role of surface salinity observations

Linear and non-linear empirical models for salinity (S) are estimated from the Argo temperature (T) and salinity (delayed) data. This study focuses on the reconstruction of salinity in the upper 1200 m of the eastern North Atlantic Ocean, a region characterized by the presence of many different water masses. While previous studies have found it necessary to split this region by boxes to fit different polynomial models in each box, a unique model valid for the entire region is fitted here. Argo profiles are randomly distributed on two sets: one for fitting the models and one for testing them. Non-linear regressions are built using neural networks with a single hidden layer and the fitting data set is further divided into two subsets: one for adjusting the coefficients (training data) and one for early stopping of the fitting (validation data). Our results indicate that linear regressions perform better than the climatologic T– S relationship, but that non-linear regressions perform better than the linear ones. Non-linear training using a three-data subsets strategy successfully prevents overfitting even when networks with 90 neurons in the hidden layer are being trained. While the presence of local minima may complicate the generalization of non-linear models to new data, network committees (created by training the same network from different random initial weights) are shown to better reproduce the test data. Several predictors are tested, and the results show that geographical, or surface, information does provide significant information. These results highlight the potential applications of future satellite missions measuring sea-surface salinity to reconstruct, when combined with temperature profiles, vertical salinity profiles.

A modeling study of the physical processes affecting the development of seasonal hypoxia over the inner Louisiana-Texas shelf: Circulation and stratification

The physical processes affecting the development of seasonal hypoxia over the Louisiana-Texas shelf were examined using a high-resolution, three-dimensional, unstructured-grid, Finite Volume Coastal Ocean Model (FVCOM). The model was forced with the observed freshwater fluxes from the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers, surface winds, heat fluxes, tides and offshore conditions. The simulations were carried out over a six-month period, from April to September 2002, and the model performance was evaluated against several independent series of observations that included tidal gauge data, Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) data, shipboard measurements of temperature and salinity, vertical salinity and sigma-t profiles, and satellite imagery. The model accurately described the offshore circulation mode generated over the Louisiana-Texas shelf by the westerly winds during summer months, as well as the prevalent westward flow along the coast caused by the easterly winds during the rest of the study period. The seasonal cycle of stratification also was well represented by the model. During 2002, the stratification was initiated in early spring and subsequently enhanced by the intensity and phasing of riverine freshwater discharges. Strong stratification persisted throughout the summer and was finally broken down in September by tropical storms. The model simulations also revealed a quasi-permanent anticyclonic gyre in the Louisiana Bight region formed by the rotational transformation of the Mississippi River plume, whose existence during 2002 was supported by the satellite imagery and ADCP current measurements. Model simulations support the conclusion that local wind forcing and buoyancy flux resulting from riverine freshwater discharges were the dominant mechanisms affecting the circulation and stratification over the inner Louisiana-Texas shelf.

Observations of the Transition Layer

Abstract The transition layer is the poorly understood interface between the stratified, weakly turbulent interior and the strongly turbulent surface mixed layer. The transition layer displays elevated thermohaline variance compared to the interior and maxima in current shear, vertical stratification, and potential vorticity. A database of 91 916 km or 25 426 vertical profiles of temperature and salinity from SeaSoar, a towed vehicle, is used to define the transition layer thickness. Acoustic Doppler current measurements are also used, when available. Statistics of the transition layer thickness are compared for 232 straight SeaSoar sections, which range in length from 65 to 1129 km with typical horizontal resolution of ∼4 km and vertical resolution of 8 m. Transition layer thicknesses are calculated in three groups from 1) vertical displacements of the mixed layer base and of interior isopycnals into the mixed layer; 2) the depths below the mixed layer depth of peaks in shear, stratification, and potential vorticity and their widths; and 3) the depths below or above the mixed layer depth of extrema in thermohaline variance, density ratio, and isopycnal slope. From each SeaSoar section, the authors compile either a single value or a median value for each of the above measures. Each definition yields a median transition layer thickness from 8 to 24 m below the mixed layer depth. The only exception is the median depth of the maximum isopycnal slope, which is 37 m above the mixed layer base, but its mode is 15–25 m above the mixed layer base. Although the depths of the stratification, shear, and potential vorticity peaks below the mixed layer are not correlated with the mixed layer depth, the widths of the shear and potential vorticity peaks are. Transition layer thicknesses from displacements and the full width at half maximum of the shear and potential vorticity peak give transition layer thicknesses from 0.11× to 0.22× the mean depth of the mixed layer. From individual profiles, the depth of the shear peak below the stratification peak has a median value of 6 m, which shows that momentum fluxes penetrate farther than buoyancy fluxes. A typical horizontal scale of 5–10 km for the transition layer comes from the product of the isopycnal slope and a transition layer thickness suggesting the importance of submesoscale processes in forming the transition layer. Two possible parameterizations for transition layer thickness are 1) a constant of 11–24 m below the mixed layer depth as found for the shear, stratification, potential vorticity, and thermohaline variance maxima and the density ratio extrema; and 2) a linear function of mixed layer depth as found for isopycnal displacements and the widths of the shear and potential vorticity peaks.