Observations and Dynamics of Interannual Coastal Flows

Florida State University, Tallahassee FL

Investigators

Abstract

0220563 Clarke Data analysis and modeling will be used to understand the interannual variability of coastal flows, particularly those associated with El Nino - Southern Oscillation phenomena, along the west coast of the Americas and the South Australian Bight. The data sets for characterizing this variability include many decades of coastal water level data, a decade of altimetry, the California Coastal Fisheries Investigation data set, and the Canadian line-P data set. The models to be used will include an improved version of the existing Clarke and Van Gorder model, including expected dependence on background velocity and sloping stratification, and a statistical model. Existing theory predicts transmission of an equatorial signal along the coast, but not propagation of the signal, as observed. This discrepancy between theory and observation will be explored.