Tropical Wave-Induced Oceanic Eddies at Cabo Corrientes and the Maria Islands, Mexico
Abstract
[1] TOPEX/Poseidon and ERS-2 satellite altimeter observations and the 1/16 degree Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Layered Ocean Model (NLOM) show the existence of anticyclonic eddies in the Cabo Corrientes - Maria Islands region off the Mexican West Coast. Analysis of the results demonstrates that: (1) The Cabo Corrientes - Maria Islands region is characterized by mean poleward coastal currents, driven by local wind forcing. (2) The local currents are intensified by the arrival of baroclinic down welling coastally trapped waves (CTWs), generated in the equatorial Pacific. (3) Anticyclonic eddies are generated as the intensified local currents pass cape-like features in the coastline or shelf-break geometry. (4) From I 979 to 2001 the CTWs generated an average of 2.35 (2.5) Cabo Corrientes (Maria Islands) anticyclonic eddies per year. (5) The formation of eddies carries interannually. increasing (decreasing) during El Nino (La Nina) years. Comparison of a variety of numerical simulations. which include different dynamics and%or different wind forcing and/or different topographic effects, suggests that bottom topography. local wind, and baroclinic instabilities are not essential for the eddy generation. It is (a) the capes at Cabo Corrientes and the Maria Islands and (b) the strong transient events associated with the CTWs that are essential to the formation of these newly recognized eddies
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 30, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA470198
Entities
People
- Charles E. Tilburg
- Edward Joseph Metzger
- Harley E. Hurlburt
- Luis Zamudio
Organizations
- United States Naval Research Laboratory