Current meter observations from the Labrador and Newfoundland shelves and comparisons with barotropic model predictions and IIP surface currents |
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| Authors: | Savithri Narayanan Simon Prinsenberg Peter C Smith |
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| Institution: | 1. Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre , P.O. Box 5667, St. John's, Newfoundland, A1C 5X1;2. Ocean Sciences Division , DFO Bedford Institute of Oceanography , P.O. Box 1006, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, B2Y 4A2 |
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| Abstract: | Abstract Recent current measurements from the southern Labrador and northeastern Newfoundland shelves confirm the presence of inshore and offshore branches of the Labrador Current with high mean currents and low standard deviations. At mid‐shelf weaker and more variable currents occur over the banks, and cross‐shelf flows are found to be associated with the shelf topography. An annual cycle of the inshore branch, in phase with wind forcing, is significant on the NE Newfoundland Shelf but not detectable on Hamilton Bank. The phase of the annual cycle in the offshore branch is consistent with buoyancy, not wind forcing. The observations compare reasonably well with results from a barotropic model for the region and the International Ice Patrol (IIP) surface current map. Differences occur particularly in regions of high bathymetrie curvature or an ill‐defined shelf break. The model location of the Labrador Current lies inshore of that indicated by the data, suggesting the need for better definition of the northern inflow boundary condition and the inclusion of baroclinicity. The HP surface current map agrees well with observations offshore, but shows an unrealistic, broad inshore branch, especially on the Grand Bank These differences have important implications for the drift models. |
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