A Numerical Investigation of the Annual Variability in the Gulf of California

Beier, Emilio

doi:10.1175/1520-0485(1997)027<0615:aniota>2.0.co;2

Cited by 94 publications

(122 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…A non-linear, vertically-entraining version of the model was used by Beier (1999) and Palacios-Hernández et al (2002) to demonstrate that the difference in stratification due to winter mixing is a possible cause for the inequality in the duration of the cyclonic and anticyclonic regimes in the NGC. The simulated seasonal circulation and sea surface temperatures are closer to observations than the model of Beier (1997). This was the first non-linear baroclinic model of the GC that included vertical mixing.…”

Section: Thermodynamicsmentioning

confidence: 53%

“…The lateral structure of the circulation induced by the same three forcings was studied by Beier (1997) with a linear two-dimensional, two-layer baroclinic model with a 70 m thick surface layer and real topography. It is found that the wind also generates an internal Kelvin wave, with amplitude increasing toward the interior of the gulf.…”

Section: Thermodynamicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While the same sinusoidal seasonal wind is used, the other forcings differ in important ways from those used by Ripa (1997) and Beier (1997Beier ( , 1999: (a) At the mouth the sea surface elevation is prescribed at tidal (7 harmonics), annual and semiannual frequencies. (b) Observations are used to specify the annual and semiannual variations of the temperature and salinity fields at the mouth cross-section.…”

Section: Thermodynamicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

An Overview of the Physical Oceanography of the Gulf of California

Lavín¹,

Marinone²

2003

Nonlinear Processes in Geophysical Fluid Dynamics

167

149

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Abstract. The Gulf of California (GC) presents several oceanographic features that make it unique among semienclosed seas of similar latitude and dimensions, the most important being strong tidal mixing, some of it close to deep stratification. Three-dimensional numerical model results suggest that tidal mixing may be more important than the thermohaline circulation in causing the long-term residual circulation, which consists of outflow in the upper 200 m and inflow below, plus a seasonally-reversing surface layer. The GC is an evaporative basin, but in the mean it gains heat through the surface. Lacking a sill at the point of connection with the Pacific Ocean (PO), the GC is constantly shaken by a wide spectrum of signals coming from the PO, including tides, subinertial trapped waves of various frequencies and El Niño. The seasonal dynamics and thermodynamics of the GC are dominated by the PO, not by local wind or buoyancy flux. Local processes are important at shorter time scales and in altering the thermohaline characteristics of the upper-layer waters. Tidal currents generate internal tides, packets of solitons, and sea surface temperature fronts from which jets may form. Coastal upwelling also seems to generate jets that separate from capes, especially on the mainland coast. The mesoscale off-shore circulation in the GC consists of a series of basin-wide geostrophic gyres that reach below 1000 m; their effect on the mean and seasonal circulation and thermodynamics of the GC remains to be studied. During summer, the currents in the mainland continental shelf are due to coastal trapped waves, while during winter they are wind-driven. The most important interannual anomalies in the GC are due to El Niño.

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Section: Thermodynamicsmentioning

confidence: 53%

Section: Thermodynamicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Thermodynamicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

An Overview of the Physical Oceanography of the Gulf of California

Lavín¹,

Marinone²

2003

Nonlinear Processes in Geophysical Fluid Dynamics

167

149

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“…Las salinity in the area. This type of data can verify models of thermocline dynamics in the coastal zone of the ocean (Ripa, 1997;Beier, 1997) and are of great importance for theoretical studies and determining the fishery situation on the continental shelf.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 66%

“…_____________________________________ de la función de correlación espacial tridimensional (o espectro) de las variaciones de temperatura y salinidad en el área. Este tipo de datos permiten verificar modelos de la dinámica de la termoclina en la zona costera del océano (Ripa, 1997;Beier, 1997) y son de gran importancia no sólo en el plano teórico sino también para el pronóstico de la situación pesquera en la plataforma continental.…”

Section: Conclusionesunclassified

Seasonal variability of the temperature and salinity fields in the coastal zone of the states of Jalisco and Colima, Mexico

et al. 2000

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Recibido en febrero de 1999; aceptado en enero de 2000 RESUMENSe presentan los resultados del análisis de datos obtenidos por una serie de levantamientos oceanográficos realizados en un polígono de monitoreo ecológico en la plataforma continental de los estados de Jalisco y Colima (México). Los levantamientos se llevaron a cabo mensualmente de 1995 a 1997 utilizando un CTD ondulante. En menos de un día se realizaron hasta 100 sondeos en estaciones con profundidad máxima de 150 m, en una malla espacial de puntos que abarca una superficie de 50 × 15 km. Los perfiles verticales de temperatura y salinidad se obtuvieron promediando los datos de los levantamientos oceanográficos. Se muestra que las distribuciones verticales de las características hidrofísicas analizadas presentan una variabilidad estacional significativa relacionada con las variaciones anuales del ingreso de energía solar, variabilidad de la evaporación, precipitación y descargas costeras en la región de estudio. Las oscilaciones estacionales abarcan una capa de agua superior a los 100 m, pero se observan con mayor intensidad en las capas subsuperficiales de las aguas costeras. Los perfiles medios presentan una alta confiabilidad estadística, ya que se suprimieron totalmente las influencias deformantes ocasionadas por las ondas internas.Palabras clave: zona costera, levantamientos oceanográficos, variabilidad estacional, temperatura, salinidad.

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Surface circulation in the Gulf of California in summer from surface drifters and satellite images (2004–2006)

Lavín

Castro²,

Beier

et al. 2014

JGR Oceans

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Surface drifters released in the Gulf of California between June 2004 and August 2006 are used to describe the surface circulation in late spring and summer. In the June to September mean, there was a poleward coastal current on the shelf and slope of the mainland side of the Gulf, with mean speed 0.3 m/s; it reached the northern Gulf and joined the cyclonic circulation typical of this zone in summer. In the western half of the southern Gulf, the drifters presented recirculating currents that are due to mesoscale eddies that appear to dominate the surface circulation in summer. In June 2004, the coastal current presented an enhancement event with mean speed around 0.60 m/s and maximum 0.80 m/s. It took 20 days for a particular drifter to travel the 1000 km from the Gulf entrance to the head. This strengthening of the coastal current was apparent in chlorophyll a and SST satellite images, the drifters following closely the intrusion of warm, chlorophyll-poor surface water from outside the Gulf. The drifters and the satellite images suggest that the current-enhancement event lasted less than a month. This mesoscale event was linked with a mesoscale remote forcing in the tropical Pacific coast and with a mesoscale local forcing of the wind. These events seem to occur every year, and are probably important in carrying organisms and properties from the entrance to the whole length of the Gulf.

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A Numerical Investigation of the Annual Variability in the Gulf of California

Cited by 94 publications

References 9 publications

An Overview of the Physical Oceanography of the Gulf of California

An Overview of the Physical Oceanography of the Gulf of California

Seasonal variability of the temperature and salinity fields in the coastal zone of the states of Jalisco and Colima, Mexico

Surface circulation in the Gulf of California in summer from surface drifters and satellite images (2004–2006)

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