Slope Water Interaction Workshop

23-24 August, 2000

Clark Laboratory, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Abstract

• Introduction
• Basic Phenmenon
  • May 1999 Slope Water Intrusion (AVHRR)
  • June 1997 Gulf Stream Intrusion (AVHRR)
  • May 1997 Detrainemnt Event (AVHRR)
  • Eddy-Continental Shelf Interaction (Model Results)
  • April 1999 Scotian Shelf Crossover Event (AVHRR)

Overviews

• 1995 Events
• 1997 Events
• 1997 Cruises
• 1999 Events
• 1999 Cruises

Observations and Models

• BIO Moorings
  • June 1997 R/V Parizeau Cruise Track
  • 1997 Southeast Flank Mooring
  • 1999 Northeast Channel Mooring
• Great South Channel Mooring Deployment Cruises
  • Mooring Positions
  • Jan 1997 (OC 296) CTD Stations
  • Aug 1997 (OC 311) CTD Stations
• Eddy Interactions with the Continental Shelf- Model Results
  • No Background Flow
  • Background Shear Flow
• May-June 1997 Detrainment
  • EN301 Cruise Track with AVHRR
• March 1997 SeaSoar- Storm Induced Exchange and Scotian Shelf Crossover
  • Pre-Storm AVHRR
  • Post-Storm AVHRR
  • Survey Chart
• June-July 1997 SeaSoar- Gulf Stream Plume Interactions
  • Survey Chart
  • Early AVHRR (streamer)
  • Mid AVHRR (streamer)
  • Late AVHRR (tendril)
• 1995-1999 Remote Sensing

23 May - 3 June 1997
EN301, R/V Endeavor
Study of a Detrainment Feature on the Southern Flank
K. Wishner, URI

Part of this cruise was spent investigating a detrainment feature on the southern flank of Georges Bank- water that was being drawn off the Bank in association with a warm core ring. Three CTD transects of the feature were done, followed by a 3-station MOCNESS transect before a storm and a 2-station partial transect after the storm. CTD-rosette casts occurred before each MOCNESS tow to sample the microzooplankton and phytoplankton (Figure 1). CTD-rosette casts and MOCNESS tows during the earlier part of the cruise sampled various potential source regions (Northeast Peak, Cold Plume, South Flank, Georges Basin, Crest), as part of other cruise projects. Data from the feature include: zooplankton biomass and species distributions from MOCNESS tows (Wishner), predator distributions from the same MOCNESS tows (Sullivan), CTD transects (Wishner and others), microzooplankton and phyoplankton from CTD-rosette casts (Gifford, Sieracki), Safire fluorescence data from MOCNESS tows (Donaghay), and ADCP data (Flagg). AVHRR satellite images (Bisagni) and drifter paths (Beardsley and Limeburner) are also pertinent. The EN301 feature moved in a southwest direction along the south flank over the course of several weeks during spring 1997. Studies of the biology and physical oceanography of this feature will address questions about how important these features are for Bank ecosystem dynamics and whether they are likely to contribute to the hypothesized Bank -Slope - Bank loop for Calanus.

From satellite images examined at the August 2000 data workshop, this is a different feature than that studied by the SeaSoar surveys of Lee et al. earlier that same spring. A comparison with the Lee et al. feature and the development of an overall concept of the structure and role of these features was discussed.