Poleward propagating subinertial alongshore surface currents off the U.S. West Coast
Author
Kim, Sung Yong
Cornuelle, Bruce D.
Terrill, Eric J.
Jones, Burt
Washburn, Libe
Moline, Mark A.
Paduan, Jeffrey D.
Garfield, Newell
Largier, John L.
Crawford, Greg
Kosro, P. Michael
Date
2013-12Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The network comprising 61 high-frequency radar systems along the U.S. West Coast
(USWC) provides a unique, high resolution, and broad scale view of ocean surface
circulation. Subinertial alongshore surface currents show poleward propagating signals with
phase speeds of O(10) and O(100–300) km d 1 that are consistent with historical in situ
observations off the USWC and that can be possibly interpreted as coastally trapped waves
(CTWs). The propagating signals in the slow mode are partly observed in southern
California, which may result from scattering and reflection of higher-mode CTWs due to
curvature of shoreline and bathymetry near Point Conception, California. On the other hand,
considering the order of the phase speed in the slow mode, the poleward propagating signals
may be attributed to alongshore advection or pressure-driven flows. A statistical regression
of coastal winds at National Data Buoy Center buoys on the observed surface currents
partitions locally and remotely wind-forced components, isolates footprints of the
equatorward propagating storm events in winter off the USWC, and shows the poleward
propagating signals year round.
Description
The article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jgrc.20400
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.Collections
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