The circulation and hydrography of conception bay,Newfoundland |
| |
| Authors: | Brad de Young Brian Sanderson |
| |
| Institution: | 1. Department of Physics , Memorial University of Newfoundland , St John's, Newfoundland, Canada , A1B 3X7;2. Bureau of Meteorology Research Centre , GPO Box 1289K, Melbourne, Victoria, 3001, Australia |
| |
| Abstract: | Abstract The hydrography and circulation of Conception Bay (Newfoundland) are described based on hydrographic, current‐meter and drifter data collected over four years (1988–1991). The seasonal cycles of temperature (‐1.6 to 13–17°C) and salinity (31–32.5) in the bay closely follow those on the adjacent shelf. Exchange of bottom water was observed in April 1989. Deepwater exchange was observed from late fall to early winter of 1989–90. Tidal currents are weak, 1–2 cm s‐1 for the M2 and K1 constituents. Observed Eulerian mean currents (<3 cm s‐1) are smaller than the standard deviation (1–11 cm s‐1); however, there is a persistent outflowing current of 10 to 20 cm s‐1 within 2 km of the shoreline on the eastern side of the outer bay. The Lagrangian correlation length scale is from 4 to 10 km, in agreement with the weak coherence squared (≤0.4) found between the fixed current‐meter sites separated by greater than 4–5 km. The variable currents (up to 20 cm s‐1) tend to be cyclonic. Cyclonic eddies were observed near the mouth on the eastern side of the bay, adjacent to the outflow. A simplified fractal dispersion model gives residence times of 42 d similar to those obtained from a scaling analysis (30–40 d) and a diagnostic numerical model (30 d). |
| |
| Keywords: | |
|
|
