Seasonal Evolution of the Geostrophic Circulation in the Northern Gulf of California

Carrillo, Laura; Palacios-Hernández, Emilio

doi:10.1006/ecss.2001.0845

Cited by 49 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…The corresponding hydrographic sections show that in summer the strong stratification is characterized by doming isolines, which leads to a low center in dynamic height and cyclonic geostrophic currents with surface speed comparable to that of the drifters, while in winter stratification is much weaker and the isolines are depressed in the center of the basin, which generates a high in dynamic topography. The persistence of the pattern has been proved by Bray (1988a) and Carrillo et al (2002) from geostrophic calculations using hydrographic data banks, and from 14 years of AVHRR data by Soto-Mardones et al (1999).…”

Section: Thermodynamicsmentioning

confidence: 92%

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: 92%

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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“…The Eulerian model used by Marinone (2003) reproduces several circulation phenomena from the GC. For example, it adequately reproduces seasonal circulation patterns, which consist of a reversible rotation in the northern GC (NGC) that is anticyclonic in the winter and cyclonic in the summer, as reported by Lavín et al (1997) and Carrillo et al (2002), and a similar circulation pattern in the southern part of the GC, as noted by Beier (1997). Similarly, Marinone (2008) validates the numerical results of the deep circulation present around the large islands obtained by López et al (2006), which consisted of a trajectory from Umbral de San Esteban to the northern end of the channel formed between Ángel de la Guarda Island and the Baja California Peninsula (Ballenas-Salsipuedes Channel, or BC), exhibiting convergence in deep areas and divergence on the surface.…”

Section: Model Validationmentioning

confidence: 56%

Three dimensional connectivity in the Gulf of California: an online interactive webpage

Montaño-Cortés¹,

Marinone²,

Valenzuela³

2017

lajar

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ABSTRACT. This paper presents an online interactive webpage [http://connectivity-dispersion.cicese.mx/] that provides users with results of both the three-dimensional connectivity and spatial dispersion of particles in the Gulf of California (GC). These results were originated by means of a three-dimensional numerical model of circulation adapted to the GC from which the advection of particles were generated between different regions of the gulf. Particle connectivity and dispersion results were generated for and are limited to temporal scales to seasonal tides, which may aid in the interpretation of larval connectivity and contaminants within the gulf.

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“…Along the Baja California Peninsula, there is a narrow, strong current (6-20 m s -1 ) flowing towards the Upper Gulf. The mentioned seasonal cyclonic eddy that is characteristic of the summer (Lavín et al 1997, Beier and Ripa 1999, Carrillo et al 2002) is present. Figure 3 shows the connectivity retention matrix and the associated average depth matrix 8 weeks after the particles were released.…”

Section: Circulation Patternsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The circulation in the NGC has been described and explained from direct measurements of drifter buoys (Lavín et al 1997), geostrophic currents from historical hydrographic data (Carrillo et al 2002) and several current measurement observations. A conspicuous feature in this area is the presence of a seasonal reversible gyre, which is cyclonic in summer (June to September) and anticyclonic in winter (November to April) with transitions in May and October (Beier and Ripa 1999, Lavín and Marinone 2003, Gutiérrez et al 2004.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Three-dimensional connectivity during summer in the northern Gulf of California

Montaño-Cortés¹,

Marinone²

2016

Sci. Mar.

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Summary: Connectivity studies in the Gulf of California are an important tool for improving the use and management of the gulf's natural resources. The goal of this work was to study the three-dimensional connectivity in the northern Gulf of California during two representative months of summer when most local marine species spawn. Passive particles were advected for eight weeks in a three-dimensional current field generated by a three-dimensional baroclinic numerical model. The results indicate that the locations of greatest particle retention were the Upper Gulf and the Seasonal Eddy. The Seasonal Eddy corresponded to the area of largest particle catchment because the continental coastal current carries most particles released in the Midriff Archipelago region; subsequently these particles were entrained in the seasonal cyclonic eddy, causing most of them to remain within it. We conclude that the continental coastal current and the Seasonal Eddy control the connectivity patterns in the northern Gulf of California.Keywords: connectivity; northern Gulf of California; summer; HAMSOM; retention; continental coastal current; Seasonal Eddy. Conectividad tridimensional durante el verano en el norte del Golfo de CaliforniaResumen: Los estudios de conectividad en el Golfo de California (GC) son una herramienta importante para mejorar el uso y la gestión de los recursos naturales del golfo. El objetivo de este trabajo fue estudiar la conectividad tridimensional en el norte del Golfo de California (NGC) durante dos meses representativos de verano, ya que es la temporada con mayor desove de especies marinas. Se advectaron partículas pasivas durante ocho semanas en un campo de corrientes tridimensional generado por un modelo numérico baroclínico tridimensional. Los resultados indicaron que los lugares con mayor retención de las partículas fueron el Alto Golfo (UG) y el Remolino Estacional (SE). A su vez, SE fue el área de máxima captación de partículas debido a que la corriente costera continental transporta la mayoría de las partículas liberadas en las localidades ubicadas en la zona de las Grandes Islas, posteriormente estas partículas son atrapadas por el remolino ciclónico estacional lo que provocó que la mayoría de las partículas liberadas se queden dentro de éste. Por último, concluimos que la corriente costera continental y el remolino estacional controlan los patrones de conectividad en el NGC.Palabras clave: conectividad; norte del Golfo de California; verano; HAMSOM; retención; corriente costera continental; remolino estacional.

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Seasonal Evolution of the Geostrophic Circulation in the Northern Gulf of California

Cited by 49 publications

References 14 publications

An Overview of the Physical Oceanography of the Gulf of California

An Overview of the Physical Oceanography of the Gulf of California

Three dimensional connectivity in the Gulf of California: an online interactive webpage

Three-dimensional connectivity during summer in the northern Gulf of California

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