Journal of Fluid Mechanics

Table of Contents - Volume 686 - 2011  

Papers

Shelfbreak upwelling induced by alongshore currents: analytical and numerical results

Robert N. Millera1a2 c1, Ricardo P. Matanoa1 and Elbio D. Palmaa3

a1 College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-5503, USA

a2 INRIA Grenoble Rhône-Alpes, Laboratoire Jean Kuntzman, 38041 Grenoble, France

a3 Departmento de Fisica, Universidad Nacional del Sur and Instituto Argentino de Oceanografia (CONICET), 8000, Bahia Blanca, Argentina

Abstract

Alongshore flow in the direction of propagation of coastal trapped waves can result in upwelling at the shelfbreak. The intensity of this upwelling can be comparable in magnitude to wind-driven coastal upwelling, with its associated ecological features. Recent numerical experiments by Matano & Palma indicate that this upwelling results from convergence of Ekman transport at the shelfbreak. The mechanism for this phenomenon can be understood in terms of steady solutions to the shallow water equations in the presence of Coriolis force and bottom drag. Matano & Palma interpreted their numerical results in terms of the arrested topographic wave, but did not present direct comparisons. Here we present a family of analytical solutions to the equations of the arrested topographic wave that shows striking quantitative agreement with earlier numerical results.

(Received February 04 2011)

(Reviewed May 06 2011)

(Accepted July 26 2011)

(Online publication September 23 2011)

Key Words:

  • ocean processes;
  • shallow water flows;
  • topographic effects

Correspondence:

c1 Email address for correspondence: miller@coas.oregonstate.edu

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