Long Wave Coupling of the Mid and South Atlantic Bights Forced by the Atmosphere

• Main Author: Brooks,David A
• Other Authors: TEXAS A AND M UNIV COLLEGE STATION DEPT OF OCEANOGRAPHY
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1979
• Subjects: Meteorology; Physical and Dynamic Oceanography; *OCEAN WAVES; *AIR WATER INTERACTIONS; *SEA LEVEL; COUPLING(INTERACTION); UNITED STATES; SURFACE WAVES; DYNAMIC RESPONSE; WIND; TIME SERIES ANALYSIS; REGRESSION ANALYSIS; OCEANOGRAPHIC DATA; CONTINENTAL SHELVES; CONTINENTAL SLOPES; SEASONAL VARIATIONS; BAROMETRIC PRESSURE; LONG WAVELENGTHS; SPECTRUM ANALYSIS; GULF STREAM; NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN; OCEAN BOTTOM TOPOGRAPHY; HEIGHT; PERIODIC VARIATIONS; OCEAN TIDES; MARINE GEOPHYSICS; Barotropic waves; Gage; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA072282; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA072282

The eastern United States continental margin profile is relatively uniform throughout the Middle Atlantic Bight (Hatteras to Gulf of Maine), but in the South Atlantic Bight (Florida Keys to Hatteras) it bifurcates into an inner and outer slope region. Coastal tide gage records indicate that sea level oscillations with periods longer than one week can propagate southward as continental shelf waves in both Bights, thereby providing a coupling mechanism between the Bights. However, several-day period motions appear to be confined to the South Atlantic Bight and may result from backscattering of long wave energy by the variable topography and the Gulf Stream. The coastal sea level phase data for the several-day period motions is not easily attributable to a monochromatic propagating wave; rather, it appears that wave group properties may lead to a more consistent explanation of the phases. Cross-shelf and longshelf wind stress components were both strongly coupled to sea level fluctuations for long periods; short period motions were more closely associated with dynamic responses to atmospheric pressure fluctuations.