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Full-Text Articles in Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology

Quantifying Vertical Mixing In Estuaries, W. Rockwell Geyer, Malcolm E. Scully, David K. Ralston Jan 2008

Quantifying Vertical Mixing In Estuaries, W. Rockwell Geyer, Malcolm E. Scully, David K. Ralston

CCPO Publications

Estuarine turbulence is notable in that both the dissipation rate and the buoyancy frequency extend to much higher values than in other natural environments. The high dissipation rates lead to a distinct inertial subrange in the velocity and scalar spectra, which can be exploited for quantifying the turbulence quantities. However, high buoyancy frequencies lead to small Ozmidov scales, which require high sampling rates and small spatial aperture to resolve the turbulent fluxes. A set of observations in a highly stratified estuary demonstrate the effectiveness of a vessel-mounted turbulence array for resolving turbulent processes, and for relating the turbulence to the …


Hydrographic Variability Of Southeastern United States Shelf And Slope Waters During The Genesis Of Atlantic Lows Experiment: Winter 1986, Larry P. Atkinson, Eiichi Oka, Sunny Y. Wu, Thomas J. Berger, Jackson O. Blanton, Thomas N. Lee Jan 1989

Hydrographic Variability Of Southeastern United States Shelf And Slope Waters During The Genesis Of Atlantic Lows Experiment: Winter 1986, Larry P. Atkinson, Eiichi Oka, Sunny Y. Wu, Thomas J. Berger, Jackson O. Blanton, Thomas N. Lee

CCPO Publications

Continental shelf waters are particularly responsive to winter storm events mainly because of their shallow depths. Those of the southeastern United States (the South Atlantic Bight (SAB)) are especially responsive because they are broad and shallow. Also, the Gulf Stream serves as a continual source of warm water at the outer boundary. Thus the SAB receives strong meteorological (wind stress and heat loss) and oceanographic (advective) forcing. During the Genesis of Atlantic Lows Experiment (GALE) the response of shelf waters to winter storm events and Gulf Stream forcing was observed. The mean conditions showed a mixed water column with areas …