HR: 1400h
AN: OS23F-03    [Abstracts]
TI: Seasonal and interannual variability of barrier layer off Baja California
AU: * Gomez-Valdes, J
EM: jgomez@cicese.mx
AF: Centro de Investigacion Cientifica y de Educacion Superior de Ensenada, Km 107 Carretera Tijuana-Ensenada, Ensenada, BC 22860, Mexico
AU: Jeronimo, G
EM: gjeronim@cicese.mx
AF: Centro de Investigacion Cientifica y de Educacion Superior de Ensenada, Km 107 Carretera Tijuana-Ensenada, Ensenada, BC 22860, Mexico
AB: Seasonal and interannual variability of the isothermal layer depth (ILD) and the isopycnal layer depth (MLD) in the southern part of the California Current are examined. The data presented were gathered during thirty one cruises in 1997-2005 over a grid based on the Investigaciones Mexicanas de la Corriente de California (IMECOCAL) station plan, which is the same that the CalCOFI station plan, from lines 100-130, out to station 80. The sampling interval was 3 month. The spatial distributions of both ILD and MLD were inhomogeneous. Both the ILD/MLD reached its maximum in January (40/60 m) and its minimum in July (15/20 m). At the first order, the MLD variations are explained with local wind stress and surface net heat flux. The MLD was deeper than the ILD, which means that a Barrier Layer (BL) was established. The highest BL thickness was in January (-20 m) and the lowest in July (- 5 m). The interannual variability of the MLD was related to external forcing. As a result of the effects of El Nino 1997-1998 in the study area, both the MLD and ILD were anomalously high (90 m), in the survey performed in January 1998. As a result of the ENSO cycle, the BL thickness was anomalously positive (16 m), in April 1999, and anomalously negative (- 18 m), in July 2003.
UR: http:www.cicese.mx
DE: 4215 Climate and interannual variability (1616, 1635, 3305, 3309, 4513)
DE: 4516 Eastern boundary currents
DE: 4520 Eddies and mesoscale processes
DE: 4522 ENSO (4922)
DE: 4962 Thermohaline
SC: Ocean Sciences [OS]
MN: 2007 Joint Assembly