Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Dynamics Of Wind-Driven Upwelling And Relaxation Between Monterey Bay And Point Arena: Local-, Regional-, And Gyre-Scale Controls, James M. Pringle, Edward P. Dever

Earth Sciences

In north and central California, equatorward winds drive equatorward flows and the upwelling of cold dense water over the shelf during the midspring and summer upwelling season. When the winds temporarily weaken, the upwelling flows between Point Reyes and Point Arena "relax,'' becoming strongly poleward over the shelf. Analytical and numerical models are used to describe the effect of alongshore variability of winds, bathymetry, and basin-scale pressure gradients on the strength of upwelling and its relaxation. Alongshore winds weaken to the south of Point Reyes, and the shelf becomes narrower from Point Reyes to Monterey Bay. Both of these lead …