Paula C. Pardo

Exchange fluxes between the Ría de Vigo and the shelf: A bidirectional flow forced by remote wind

[1] In the Ria de Vigo (western coast of the Iberian Peninsula) the seasonal pattern associated with shelf winds at these latitudes produces upwelling/downwelling episodes that affect the residual circulation. The aim of this paper is to go deeply into the interaction between remote winds and the dynamics of the ria aided by an inverse model. In the Galician r ias the box models (inverse models) have been developed from a two-dimensional (2-D) point of view since the classical baroclinic residual circulation in positive estuaries has a vertical distribution (freshwater outflow through the surface layer and inflow through the bottom layer). However, recent work in the Ria de Vigo has shown the existence of a 3-D residual circulation in the seaward region of the ria. During upwelling (downwelling) conditions a coastal jet enters (leaves) the ria through the northern mouth and leaves (enters) through the southern mouth. The inverse model developed in this paper is a 3-D kinematic box model based on tracer and volume balances with the constraint of nonnegative vertical exchange coefficients. The fluxes obtained confirm, during some periods, the 3-D residual circulation overlying the classical 2-D scheme. It is shown how the 3-D pattern affects the inner ria, causing transversal differences in the flow field. In addition, the model results have been helpful in the discussion of a possible barotropic bidirectional flow associated with remote winds. The results have set the basis for the existence of a bidirectional flow originated by a barotropic interaction with the shelf upwelling.

On the mediterranean water composition

AbstractThe Mediterranean Outflow Water (MOW) spills from the Mediterranean Sea (east North Atlantic basin) west off the Strait of Gibraltar. As MOW outflows, it entrains eastern North Atlantic Central Waters (ENACW) and Intermediate Waters to form the neutrally buoyant Mediterranean Water (MW) that can be traced over the entire North Atlantic basin. Its high salinity content influences the thermohaline properties of the intermediate–deep water column in the North Atlantic and its dynamics. Here, the composition of MW in its source region (the Gulf of Cadiz, west off Strait of Gibraltar) is investigated on the basis of an optimum multiparameter analysis. The results obtained indicate that mixing of MOW (34.1% ± 0.3%) occurs mainly with overlying ENACW (57.1% ± 0.8%) in a process broadly known as central water entrainment. A diluted form (80% of dilution) of the Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) reaches the region and also takes part in MW formation (8.3% ± 0.5%). Finally, the underlying Labrador Sea Wat...

Carbon Data Obtained During the R/V Sarmiento de Gamboa CAIBOX-2009 Cruise in the Atlantic Ocean (25 July - 13 August, 2009)

The item is made of 2 files, of which 1 is the dataset and the other include a small description of the measured variables.-- Dataset contributed to the Project Carbochange