HR: 14:00h
AN: OS23F-10    [Abstracts]
TI: Upwelling Pattern in the Gulf of Panama: an Assessment Using WOD01
AU: * González, L M
EM: mreal9@yahoo.es
AF: Universidad de Panama, Estafeta Universitaria, Panama, Panama, Panama
AU: D´Croz, L
EM: dcrozl@naos.si.edu
AF: Universidad de Panama, Estafeta Universitaria, Panama, Panama, Panama
AU: D´Croz, L
EM: dcrozl@naos.si.edu
AF: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Unit 0948, APO, AA 34002-0948, Panama
AB: While the seasonal variability of water properties in the Gulf of Panama is relatively well known, processes which rule the spatial variability are poorly understood. In view of this, we aimed to study the spatial variability of the termohaline structure of the gulf during the dry season upwelling and the rainy season using available archived data from the World Ocean Database (WOD01). For the selection of the database we considered the results from two oceanographic cruises with the largest number of sampling sites. The selected cruises were carried in November 1967 (rainy season) and in March 1933 (dry season). We used the software packages from Ocean Data View to access the WOD01, built a database, and draw the oceanographic profiles. Results have confirmed significant sea surface temperature differences between the rainy and the dry seasons (z-test = 24, p < 0.01). Warm sea surface temperature (SST > 27.5° C) and low salinity (< 31 psu) waters were commonplace during the rainy season. Colder (SST < 21° C) and more saline (> 34 psu) waters were the norm during the dry season. The mean hydrographic profile from the along-shelf transect during the dry season, showed the thermocline to be tilted toward the West side of the gulf; whereas it nearly breaks in the surface in the East side, where upwelling is more intense (SST < 20° C, salinity > 34 psu). We propose that the spatial variability of temperature and salinity in the gulf during upwelling is connected to the Ekman transport mechanism which in turn is related to wind direction and intensity. The high winds stress index (0.1 N m^-2) derived from wind measurements during the March 1933 cruise point at the development of a very intense dry season upwelling.
DE: 4299 General or miscellaneous
SC: Ocean Sciences [OS]
MN: 2007 Joint Assembly