Source of Cold Water in Monterey Bay Observed by AVHRR Satellite Imagery
Abstract
A one year record of Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (A VHRR) satellite images, beginning October 1, 1988, was processed and evaluated to determine the source of cold, nutrient-rich water in Monterey Bay. Wind records indicated a strong correlation with the intensity of upwelling at Ano Nuevo and Point Sur as seen in numerous satellite images. Close quantitative agreement between satellite derived multi-channel sea surface temperature and in situ observation of sea surface temperature by oceanographic research ships support remote sensing as a valid tool for observing thermal gradients. During upwelling events in the spring and summer, offshore plumes of cold water appear at Ano Nuevo and Point Sur. In addition, southward flow at both locations is inferred from satellite images and from vertical temperature profiles. One jet of cool water, approximately 10 km wide and 30 m deep originates at Ano Nuevo and flows south across the mouth of the Monterey Bay, effectively isolating the Bay from oceanic surface circulation. Cool surface water is injected into the middle and southern Bay resulting in a generally cyclonic flow inside the Bay. Offshore, a warm core, anticyclonic eddy persists with a radius of 30 km. It is bounded on the north and south by the previously mentioned offshore plumes and on the east by the southward flow from Ano Nuevo.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1990
- Accession Number
- ADA242843
Entities
People
- Dan E. Tracy
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School