Variability in Gulf Stream Surface-Subsurface Frontal Separation: The Unimportance of Ekman Advection

Variability in Gulf Stream Surface-Subsurface Frontal Separation: The Unimportance of Ekman Advection

Simultaneous observations of the Gulf Stream surface and subsurface (15C at 200 m) fronts have shown their relative positions to be quite variable. Cross-frontal Ekman advection of the surface front by the local wind stress is a possible major source of this variability. We investigate this possibil...

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Bibliographische Detailangaben
Hauptverfasser: Horton, Charles W, Horsley, LaVerne E
Format: Report
Sprache:eng
Schlagworte:
ADVECTION
EKMAN ADVECTION
FRONTS(OCEANOGRAPHY)
GULF STREAM
MEANDERING
OCEAN SURFACE
Physical and Dynamic Oceanography
POSITION(LOCATION)
REPRINTS
SEPARATION
STRESSES
SUBSURFACE
SYNCHRONISM
VARIATIONS
WIND
WIND STRESS
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Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:Simultaneous observations of the Gulf Stream surface and subsurface (15C at 200 m) fronts have shown their relative positions to be quite variable. Cross-frontal Ekman advection of the surface front by the local wind stress is a possible major source of this variability. We investigate this possibility and show that on the average and for a particular set of observations, only a small fraction of the observed variability in Gulf Stream surface-subsurface frontal separation is due to advection of the surface front by the local wind stress. As an alternative, it is suggested that most of the observed variability in frontal separation may be due to unstable meandering of the Gulf Stream surface front. Reprints. Pub. in Jnl. of Geophysical Research, v93 nC4 p3519-3527, 15 Apr 1988.