Visualization of temperature and horizontal velocities in the California Current System

by Sam McClatchie | 2017-06-23 12:49 | ID: 166642 | 44,543,616 bytes |

Visualization of temperature and horizontal velocities in the California Current System during the 1997-99 ENSO event using the UC Santa Cruz ROMS model output

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Title Filename Modified datesort ascending
Salinity in March 1999 on the spiciness minimum.

Salinity plotted on the 25.8 isopycnal.

 salinity on 25.8 isopycnal 1999-03-13.jpg 2017-06-23 12:49
Salinity in March 1999 on the spiciness maximum.

Salinity plotted in the 26.5 isopycnal.

 salinity on 26.5 isopycnal 1999-03-13.jpg 2017-06-23 12:47
Salinity in October 1997 on the spiciness maximum

Salinity plotted on the 26.5 isopycnal.

 salinity on 26.5 isopycnal 1997-10-29.jpg 2017-06-23 12:45
Salinity in October 1997 on the spiciness minimum

Salinity plotted on the 25.8 isopycnal.

 salinity on 25.8 isopycnal 1997-10-29.jpg 2017-06-23 12:42

Comments

Sam McClatchie's picture

Key points

Submitted by Sam McClatchie on

Each frame represents a 4-day time step.
Both the temperature data and the velocity data are dominated by mesoscale variability.
Both the north-south (v) and east-west (u) (horizontal) currents are complex and dynamic, presenting a view that is quite different from the time averaged current flows often portrayed in maps of the California Current and the California Undercurrent. (NOTE: southward velocity is -v, northward is +v. Westward velocity is -u, eastward is +u. Bathymetry is black.).
There is a surprising influence of offshore, Central Gyre influenced water on the CalCOFI region during this ENSO event, as shown by both the warm temperatures (exagerating the seasonal signal) and the east-west currents. The currents show a more persistent signal than the temperature.