Water Masses in the Monterey Bay during the Summer of 2000

• Main Authors: Warn-Varnas, Alex, Gangopadhyay, Avijit, Hawkins, J. A.
• Other Authors: NAVAL RESEARCH LAB STENNIS SPACE CENTER MS OCEANOGRAPHY DIV
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2007
• Subjects: Meteorology; Physical and Dynamic Oceanography; Numerical Mathematics; Statistics and Probability; *OCEAN CURRENTS; *WIND; *CALIFORNIA; *UPWELLING; *BAYS; *WATER MASSES; *RELAXATION; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; DENSITY; DISTRIBUTION; STATISTICS; DEPTH; SHALLOW WATER; SURFACE WATERS; SUMMER; SOLAR HEATING; DEEP WATER; OCEAN BOTTOM TOPOGRAPHY; AIR WATER INTERACTIONS; SALINITY; MIXED LAYER(MARINE); MIXING; CONTINENTAL SHELVES; OXYGEN; EDDIES(FLUID MECHANICS); NUMERICAL ANALYSIS; OBSERVATION; TEMPERATURE; COASTAL REGIONS; *MONTEREY BAY(CALIFORNIA); *SPICINESS; *WATER MASS ANALYSIS; CTZ(COASTAL TRANSITION ZONE); CYCLONIC CIRCULATION; UPPER WATER COLUMN; *WATER MASS DISTRIBUTION; WIND RELAXATION; CLUSTER ANALYSIS; INTERNAL TIDES; OXYGEN CONCENTRATION; MOOS(MONTEREY OCEAN OBSERVING SYSTEM); CTD(CONDUCTIVITY TEMPERATURE DEPTH); NUMERICAL MODELS; PE0601153N; PE62435N; WU736621B55; Pacific; Subarctic
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA470734; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA470734

Water masses in Monterey Bay are determined from the CTD casts of the Monterey Ocean Observing System (MOOS) Upper-water-column Science Experiment (MUSE) August 2000 dataset. It is shown through cluster analysis that the MUSE 2000 CTD dataset contains 5 water masses. These five water masses are bay surface water (BSW), bay warm water (BWW), bay intermediate water (BIW), subarctic upper water (SUW), and North Pacific deep water (NPDW). The BWW is a new water mass that exists in one area and is attributed to the effects of solar heating. The volumes occupied by each of the water masses are obtained. The BIW water is the most dominant water mass and occupies 68.8% of the volume. The statistical means and standard deviations for each water parameter, including spiciness and oxygen concentration, are calculated during separate upwelling and relaxed periods. The water mass content and structure are analyzed and studied during upwelling and a relaxed period. During upwelling, along a CTD track off Pt. Ano Nuevo, the water mass Temperature-Salinity distribution tended to be organized along three branches. Off Pt. Ano Nuevo the innovative coastal observation network (ICON) model showed the formation of a cyclonic eddy during the analyzed upwelling period. In time the eddy moved southwest and became absorbed into the southerly flow during the initial phases of the following wind-relaxed period. Pub. in Continental Shelf Research, v27, p1379-1398, 2007. Prepared in cooperation with the School for Marine Science and Technology, Department of Physics, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, North Dartmouth, MA, and Planning Systems, Inc., Slidell, LA. The original document contains color images. All DTIC reproductions will be in black and white.