The Effect of Submarine Canyon Width and Stratification on Coastal Circulation and Across Shelf Exchange

<p>A 3-D ocean circulation model is used to investigate the effect of the width of a submarine canyon and stratification on adjacent coastal circulation and across shelf exchange. Upwelling winds for 20 d drive circulation over six canyons of varying widths (8–60 km), two escarpments to represent infinitely wide canyons, and a generic shelf-slope without a canyon. Also six stratifications whose first internal Rossby radii (<em>a</em>) range over 2–18 km were applied to two canyons (20 and 40 km) to see the effect of stratification. All simulations adjust to the canyon after 5 days spinup and reach an approximate steady state after two weeks. Cyclonic circulation, continuous onshore transport and upwelling occur within the canyons. All canyons can be classified as narrow, intermediate or wide by the ratio of the internal deformation radius to the canyon width. A canyon with a width of about 2<em>a</em>, which is the size of cyclone over wide canyon, separates wide from narrow canyons. Alongshore transport upstream of canyon and onshore transport within the canyon has a relationship of power function which has different parameters before and after the adjustment. The geometric effect of a narrow canyon is very strong based on the onshore transport per unit width and tracer moving speed within the canyon, even though wider canyons have larger onshore transport. Canyon drag decreases as the canyon narrows and stratification increases, which produces large alongshore transport for strong stratification and large onshore transport for weak stratification.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Ocean & Earth Sciences

Year dc:date.available

2004

Author dc:creator

• Hyun, Kyung-Hoon

Contributors dc:contributor

• John M. Klinck
• Susan E. Allen
• Chester Grosch
• Arnoldo Valle-Levinson

• Coastal circulation
• Continental shelf
• Stratification
• Submarine canyon
• Environmental Sciences
• Oceanography

Statement dc:rights

• <p>In Copyright. URI: <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).</p>

Identifier

9780496938964

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.odu.edu:oeas_etds-1048