COMPUTATIONS OF THE EDDY HEAT AND DENSITY TRANSPORTS ACROSS THE GULF STREAM
Abstract
Data of the current velocity, temperature, and salinity of the Gulf Stream, collected during 200 crossings of the current in cruises off Onslow Bay, Jacksonville (30 degrees N) and Cape Hatteras, are used to compute the eddy fluxes of heat and density across the mean current. In each cruise an eddy transport of heat is observed, which is directed from the colder coastal water to the Sargasso Sea in the surface layers. The meanders in the stream appear to increase the thermal contrast across the so called Gulf Stream front and thus violate the ordinary diffusion laws by not transporting heat from the warm to the cold source. The transport of density across the stream is, in general, towards the shore, reflecting mostly the influence of the temperature on the density.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1963
- Accession Number
- AD0414364
Entities
People
- Abraham H. Oort
Organizations
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology