Lagrangian Studies of Submesoscale Coherent Vortices in the California Current System

Abstract

Our long-term goal is to understand the kinematics and dynamics of the California Current System and to apply this knowledge to naval and maritime operations in Eastern Boundary Current regions. Along the Central and Northern California coast, subsurface floats routinely encounter submesoscale coherent vortices. The occurrence of these vortices is common enough that they have an important role in the offshore transport of properties from the coastal zone to the deep sea. The specific objectives of this study are to determine (1) when, where and how these vortices are formed, and (2) their role in mixing and transporting equatorial and subarctic waters.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 30, 1998
Accession Number
ADA569100

Entities

People

  • Curtis Collins
  • Newell Garfield
  • Robert Paquette

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Boundaries
  • California
  • Continental Slopes
  • Galapagos Islands
  • Information Operations
  • Measurement
  • Observation
  • Oceanography
  • Oceans
  • Offshore
  • Pacific Ocean
  • Regions
  • Ridges
  • Tactical Decision Aids
  • Tidal Currents
  • Water Masses

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Coastal Oceanography
  • Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Modeling, Data Assimilation, and Flux Boundary Layers