| Type |
Article |
| Date |
2016-04 |
| Language |
English |
| Author(s) |
Desbiolles Fabien1, 2, Blanke Bruno1, Bentamy Abderrahim2, Roy C.1 |
| Affiliation(s) |
1 : UMR 6523 CNRS Ifremer IRD UBO, LPO, Brest, France.
2 : IFREMER, Ctr Brest, LOS, Brest, France. |
| Source |
Journal Of Marine Systems (0924-7963) (Elsevier Science Bv), 2016-04 , Vol. 156 , P. 46-55 |
| DOI |
10.1016/j.jmarsys.2015.12.002 |
| WOS© Times Cited |
15 |
| Keyword(s) |
Eastern boundary upwelling system, Momentum flux forcing, Wind profile, Numerical modeling, Scatterometry |
| Abstract |
We analyze the results of a regional model of the Southern Benguela upwelling system forced by wind stress fields derived from QuikSCAT observations. Two different horizontal resolutions are considered for the wind stress: QS25 and QS50, corresponding to native 25 and 50 km grids, respectively. The differences between both products highlight the primary importance of fine-scale momentum fluxes for both the structure and intensity of the wind- and wind curl-driven upwelling. Using QS25, we show that the coastal Ekman transport is reduced, leading to a warmer SST and a reduced oceanic coastal jet. QS25 finer wind stress curl patterns also favor the development of a stronger and shallower poleward undercurrent. The addition of a coastal wind correction to QS25 lets us investigate the possible implications of an imbalance between Ekman transport and Ekman pumping: a wind reduction in the coastal band often reduces the SST cooling, but the two mechanisms compensate each other when the characteristic length scales of the coastal upwelling and the orography-induced wind drop-off are similar. |
| Full Text |
| File |
Pages |
Size |
Access |
| Author's final draft |
38 |
1005 KB |
Open access |
|
10 |
1 MB |
Access on demand |
|
