Transport and fate of river discharge on the continental shelf of the Southeastern United States

Journal Article · Mon May 30 00:00:00 EDT 1983 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JC088iC08p04730· OSTI ID:5833257

Blanton, J O; Atkinson, L P

We have analyzed 8 years of wind and salinity data from a frontal zone in a region of the inner continental shelf off the southeastern United States. The changes in low-salinity water stored in the frontal zone have been parameterized by analyzing the montly rate of change in freshwater content. When the rate of change in freshwater content was negative, we interpreted this as a loss of low-salinity water from the frontal zone. When this parameter was compared with seasonally averaged alongshore wind stress, the rate of loss was independent of the alongshore wind stress magnitude until threshold of about 0.1 dyne cm/sup -2/ was reached. Above the thereshold there was a clear relationship between northward alongshore wind stress and rate of loss freshwater from the inner shelf. Experimental evidence suggests that horizontal currents in the inner-shelf frontal zone have cyclonic shear with increasing depth. When wind stres is northward and offshore, near-surface low-salinity water is transported offshore by Ekman transport while near-bottom high-salinity water is transported shoreward.

• Research Organization: Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, Savannah, Georgia 31406
• OSTI ID: 5833257
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Vol. 88:C1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
CONTINENTAL SHELF
WATER CURRENTS
BOUNDARY LAYERS
DEPTH
FRESH WATER
MONTHLY VARIATIONS
RIVERS
SALINITY
SHEAR
SOUTH ATLANTIC BIGHT
WIND
ATLANTIC OCEAN
CONTINENTAL MARGIN
CURRENTS
DIMENSIONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LAYERS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SEAS
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
VARIATIONS
WATER
580500* - Oceanography- (1980-1989)