Collaborative Research: Recent Changes in Shelfbreak Exchange on the Northeast Shelf: Process-Oriented Observations of Salinity Maximum Intrusions

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This project will examine warming of the continental shelf of the northeast US and determine the relationship to warm core rings from the Gulf Stream. Historical observations from several sources including the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) Pioneer Array will be analyzed to determine the connection between shelf warming and warm core rings. A field campaign will include observations from autonomous underwater vehicles equipped with sensors to observe the dynamic processes that govern the warm and saline intrusions of water. The results will yield insights into how and why warming events occur on the continental shelf. The trend in warming on the New England shelf has implications for regional climate and local commercial fisheries. The project includes collaboration with the Commercial Fisheries Association and communication of research results to local fishing communities. This project will use field observations and analyses of historical data to examine process known to drive exchange between the shelf and warm core rings on the Northeast U.S. continental shelf and the relationship to recent warming on the shelf and slope region. The study will focus on the pycnocline salinity maximum and Gulf Stream warm core rings. The field work, which will take place during two cruises (in 2020 and 2021) will employ autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) equipped with sensors to profile velocity, temperature, salinity, microstructure, turbidity, chlorophyll, fluorescence, and colored dissolved organic matter. The observations will be used to produce three-dimensional maps of one or more saline intrusions and to distinguish between the relative importance of double diffusive and turbulent dynamics in the pycnocline salinity maximum.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.