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The Response Of An Idealized Continental Shelf To Atmospheric Forcing, Paul Francis Moersdorf

OES Theses and Dissertations

The response of continental shelf water to cooling and wind stress is investigated using a two-dimensional numerical model. The topography of the east coast continental shelf was idealized by connecting a shallow (50 m) rectangular nearshore basin to a deeper (100 m) rectangular offshore basin. Numerous cases were examined using a wide range of values for both the air•sea temperature difference and the Wind speed, although the direction of the wind was always perpendicular to the coast.

The model predicts large excursions of shelf water offshore, and the subsequent surfacing of lower waters. Upwelling velocities of close to five meters …