A modeling study of the coastal eastern boundary current system off Iberia and Morocco

• Main Author: Martinez, Johnny R.
• Other Authors: Batteen, Mary L.
• Language: en_US
• Published: Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School 2012
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10945/13626

To investigate the Northern Canary Current System (NCCS), results from four numerical experiments of increasing complexity are examined. Experiment I, which uses seasonal wind forcing only, shows that, as expected, wind forcing is the key generative mechanism for the current, upwelling, meander, eddy, and filament structures. Experiments 2 and 3 have the addition of an irregular coastline. These two experiments show that capes are areas for enhanced upwelling, extensive filaments, maximum current velocities, and enhanced growth of cyclonic meanders and eddies. Also, an embayment like the Gulf of Cadiz is a primary region for anticyclonic meander and eddy development. A fourth experiment has the additional effects of thermohaline gradients and Mediterranean Outflow. This complex regime has features similar to NCCS observations, including the generation of Meddies.