Blanton, B.O., A. Aretxabaleta, F.E. Werner, and H.E. Seim, Monthly climatology of the continental shelf waters of the South Atlantic Bight, J. Geophys. Res., 108(C8), 3264, doi:10.1029/2002JC001609, 2003

In the August 13, 2003 edition of the Journal of Geophysical Research -- Oceans, SEACOOS members Brian O. Blanton, Alfredo Aretxabaleta, Francisco E. Werner, and Harvey Seim published an article describing their developments.  The study provides a three dimensional view of the monthly average conditions in the South Atlantic Bight, over the last 50 years.  Such a view provides the necessary frame of reference to better assess current conditions and future changes in the climatology of the South Atlantic Bight.  The abstract and citation follow.

Abstract

Monthly circulation of the South Atlantic Bight is diagnosed using a 3-D, shallow water, finite element model forced with monthly wind stress and hydrographic climatology. Temperature and salinity observations from the period 1950-99 are objectively interpolated onto the model domain, and Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Data Set (COADS) wind velocities from 1975-1999 are used to prescribe the model surface wind stress. The resulting monthly temperature and salinity fields compare favorably to existing shelf climatology. River discharge maxima are evident in the spring temperature and salinity fields, and the rapid heating and cooling of the shelf are captured. The diagnostic circulation is largely wind-driven in the inner and midshelf, and the Gulf Stream is apparent in the solutions on the outer shelf. We present the monthly fields, including the temporal and spatial distribution of available hydrographic data, the regional COADS data that provide surface wind stress forcings, the objective analysis, and the model response to these forcings. The hydrographic and velocity fields provide best-prior-estimates of the circulation for data assimilation studies in the region, as well as initial conditions for process-oriented prognostic model studies in the Georgia coastal region.

Citation

Blanton, B.O., A. Aretxabaleta, F.E. Werner, and H.E. Seim, Monthly climatology of the continental shelf waters of the South Atlantic Bight, J. Geophys. Res., 108(C8), 3264, doi:10.1029/2002JC001609, 2003.

For the full article see http://www.unc.edu/~hseim/sablam/climatology/

For more information, see the SEACOOS Modeling Working Group.