Thermohaline circulation of shallow tidal seas
The mechanisms controlling the temperature and salinity structure of shallow continental shelf seas have been understood for over thirty years, yet knowledge of what drives their large-scale circulation has remained relatively unknown. Here we describe a decade long programme of measurements, using...
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2008
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ftnuigalway:oai:https://researchrepository.universityofgalway.ie:10379/11930 2024-09-30T14:31:00+00:00 Thermohaline circulation of shallow tidal seas Hill, A. E. Brown, J. Fernand, L. Holt, J. Horsburgh, K. J. Proctor, R. Raine, R. Turrell, W. R. 2008-06-11 http://hdl.handle.net/10379/11930 https://doi.org/10.13025/25826 https://doi.org/10.1029/2008gl033459 unknown Wiley-Blackwell Geophysical Research Letters Hill, A. E. Brown, J.; Fernand, L.; Holt, J.; Horsburgh, K. J.; Proctor, R.; Raine, R.; Turrell, W. R. (2008). Thermohaline circulation of shallow tidal seas. Geophysical Research Letters 35 (11), 0094-8276 http://hdl.handle.net/10379/11930 https://doi.org/10.13025/25826 doi:10.1029/2008gl033459 Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Ireland https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ie/ european continental-shelf western irish sea fronts gyre Article 2008 ftnuigalway https://doi.org/10.13025/2582610.1029/2008gl033459 2024-09-17T14:44:29Z The mechanisms controlling the temperature and salinity structure of shallow continental shelf seas have been understood for over thirty years, yet knowledge of what drives their large-scale circulation has remained relatively unknown. Here we describe a decade long programme of measurements, using satellite-tracked drifting buoys on the northwest European shelf, to draw attention to a striking picture of highly organised thermohaline circulation consisting of narrow, near surface, fast flowing jets. These are ubiquitous above sharp horizontal gradients in bottom temperatures and/or salinities. The circulation phenomena we describe are likely to be prevalent on all similar, wide, tidally energetic continental shelves including those off north-eastern China, Argentina and parts of the Arctic. The robust, repeatable observation of the key role of jets above bottom fronts results in a fundamental reassessment of how we view the dynamics of shelf seas. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic National University of Ireland (NUI), Galway: ARAN Arctic Argentina |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
National University of Ireland (NUI), Galway: ARAN |
op_collection_id |
ftnuigalway |
language |
unknown |
topic |
european continental-shelf western irish sea fronts gyre |
spellingShingle |
european continental-shelf western irish sea fronts gyre Hill, A. E. Brown, J. Fernand, L. Holt, J. Horsburgh, K. J. Proctor, R. Raine, R. Turrell, W. R. Thermohaline circulation of shallow tidal seas |
topic_facet |
european continental-shelf western irish sea fronts gyre |
description |
The mechanisms controlling the temperature and salinity structure of shallow continental shelf seas have been understood for over thirty years, yet knowledge of what drives their large-scale circulation has remained relatively unknown. Here we describe a decade long programme of measurements, using satellite-tracked drifting buoys on the northwest European shelf, to draw attention to a striking picture of highly organised thermohaline circulation consisting of narrow, near surface, fast flowing jets. These are ubiquitous above sharp horizontal gradients in bottom temperatures and/or salinities. The circulation phenomena we describe are likely to be prevalent on all similar, wide, tidally energetic continental shelves including those off north-eastern China, Argentina and parts of the Arctic. The robust, repeatable observation of the key role of jets above bottom fronts results in a fundamental reassessment of how we view the dynamics of shelf seas. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Hill, A. E. Brown, J. Fernand, L. Holt, J. Horsburgh, K. J. Proctor, R. Raine, R. Turrell, W. R. |
author_facet |
Hill, A. E. Brown, J. Fernand, L. Holt, J. Horsburgh, K. J. Proctor, R. Raine, R. Turrell, W. R. |
author_sort |
Hill, A. E. |
title |
Thermohaline circulation of shallow tidal seas |
title_short |
Thermohaline circulation of shallow tidal seas |
title_full |
Thermohaline circulation of shallow tidal seas |
title_fullStr |
Thermohaline circulation of shallow tidal seas |
title_full_unstemmed |
Thermohaline circulation of shallow tidal seas |
title_sort |
thermohaline circulation of shallow tidal seas |
publisher |
Wiley-Blackwell |
publishDate |
2008 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10379/11930 https://doi.org/10.13025/25826 https://doi.org/10.1029/2008gl033459 |
geographic |
Arctic Argentina |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Argentina |
genre |
Arctic |
genre_facet |
Arctic |
op_relation |
Geophysical Research Letters Hill, A. E. Brown, J.; Fernand, L.; Holt, J.; Horsburgh, K. J.; Proctor, R.; Raine, R.; Turrell, W. R. (2008). Thermohaline circulation of shallow tidal seas. Geophysical Research Letters 35 (11), 0094-8276 http://hdl.handle.net/10379/11930 https://doi.org/10.13025/25826 doi:10.1029/2008gl033459 |
op_rights |
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Ireland https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ie/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.13025/2582610.1029/2008gl033459 |
_version_ |
1811635692410765312 |