Premium
Spatial and temporal variability of diurnal wind forcing in the coastal ocean
Author(s) -
Hunter Eli,
Chant Robert,
Bowers Louis,
Glenn Scott,
Kohut Josh
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2006gl028945
Subject(s) - sea breeze , forcing (mathematics) , environmental science , diurnal cycle , climatology , diurnal temperature variation , submarine pipeline , shore , spring (device) , oceanography , atmospheric sciences , geology , mechanical engineering , engineering
Spatial and temporal variability of diurnal wind forcing and the coastal response is characterized for the New York Bight from February through May, 2005. This analysis demonstrates that diurnal wind forced motions are significant in the coastal ocean during the spring and summer months, near shore and as far as 100 km offshore. A doubling of diurnal current amplitudes is common in the spring compared to the winter months, associated with an increase in sea/land breeze days. Diurnal fluid motions due to sea/land breeze events can account for up 50% of the total kinetic energy during the spring.