COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH:The Propagating Response of the Inner Shelf to Wind Relaxations in a Coastal Upwelling System

该项目是一项全面的观测和分析计划，旨在研究加州中部海岸沿岸上升流系统中松弛流动的动力学和源水。自动驾驶车辆、高频雷达、系泊设备和漂流设备将用于获取与松弛流相关的压力、密度和速度数据。这些数据将被用来确定流动的空间尺度、跨岸密度结构、跨岸和近岸速度场、压力梯度以及与海底接触的区域。研究方面包括：1)评估正压和斜压压力梯度强迫的作用，2)确定非地转流主导跨岸和近岸动量平衡的区域，3)确定松弛流的源水，以及4)通过分析多年来收集的广泛的区域数据集来研究内陆架环流对大片沿海地区(南加州海湾北部)风松弛的响应。风松弛是世界各地沿海上涌系统的共同特征，并对幼虫、营养物、陆地径流和浮力污染物(如石油)等水媒物质的沿岸和跨岸输送产生影响。这项研究将通过揭示近岸水流结构的细节，阐明松弛流在潮间带和潮下生物补充中的作用。该观测计划提高了最先进的自主和拉格朗日平台和传感器的能力。将对博士后和本科生进行培训。将为海洋生态学研究生创造机会，进行以放松水流的生态后果为重点的实地实验。这项研究将建立和利用现有的区域海洋观测基础设施，并将提高两所大学的海洋学研究能力。

The project is a comprehensive observational and analytical program to examine the dynamics and source waters of the relaxation flows in a coastal upwelling system on the central California coast. Autonomous vehicles, high-frequency radars, moorings, and drifters, will be used to acquire pressure, density, and velocity data relevant to the relaxation flows. The data will be used to determine spatial scales of the flows, cross-shore density structure, cross-shore and alongshore velocity fields, pressure gradients, and the region of contact with the sea floor. Aspects of the research include: 1) to evaluate the roles of barotropic and baroclinic pressure gradient forcing, 2) to identify regions where ageostrophic flows dominate the cross-shore and alongshore momentum balances, 3) to determine source waters for the relaxation flows, and 4) to examine the inner shelf circulation response to wind relaxations over an extensive coastal region (the northern part of the Southern California Bight) by analyzing extensive regional data sets collected over many years.Wind relaxations are common features of coastal upwelling systems worldwide, and have impacts on alongshore and cross-shore transport of water-borne materials such as larvae, nutrients, terrestrial runoff, and buoyant pollutants like oil. This study will clarify the role of relaxation flows in the recruitment of intertidal and sub-tidal organisms by revealing details of the near-shore flow structure. The observational plan advances capabilities of state-of-the-art autonomous and Lagrangian platforms and sensors. A post-doc and undergraduate students will be trained. Opportunities will be created for marine ecology graduate students to conduct field experiments focused on the ecological consequences of relaxation flows. This research will build on, and leverage, existing regional ocean observing infrastructure and it will increase the capacity for oceanographic studies at two universities.