Laboratory Experiments on the Interaction of a Buoyant Coastal Current with a Canyon: Application to the East Greenland Current
This paper presents a set of laboratory experiments focused on how a buoyant coastal current flowing over a sloping bottom interacts with a canyon and what controls the separation, if any, of the current from the upstream canyon bend. The results show that the separation of a buoyant coastal current...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | en_US |
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American Meteorological Society
2011
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/65141 |
| _version_ | 1826195806190829568 |
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| author | Sutherland, David A. Cenedese, Claudia |
| author2 | Joint Program in Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science and Engineering |
| author_facet | Joint Program in Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science and Engineering Sutherland, David A. Cenedese, Claudia |
| author_sort | Sutherland, David A. |
| collection | MIT |
| description | This paper presents a set of laboratory experiments focused on how a buoyant coastal current flowing over a sloping bottom interacts with a canyon and what controls the separation, if any, of the current from the upstream canyon bend. The results show that the separation of a buoyant coastal current depends on the current width W relative to the radius of curvature of the bathymetry ρc. The flow moved across the mouth of the canyon (i.e., separated) for W/ρc > 1, in agreement with previous results. The present study extends previous work by examining both slope-controlled and surface-trapped currents, and using a geometry specific to investigating buoyant current–canyon interaction. The authors find that, although bottom friction is important in setting the position of the buoyant front, the separation process driven by the inertia of the flow could overcome even the strongest bathymetric influence. Application of the laboratory results to the East Greenland Current (EGC), an Arctic-origin buoyant current that is observed to flow in two branches south of Denmark Strait, suggests that the path of the EGC is influenced by the large canyons cutting across the shelf, as the range of W/ρc in the ocean spans those observed in the laboratory. What causes the formation of a two-branched EGC structure downstream of the Kangerdlugssuaq Canyon (68°N, 32°W) is still unclear, but potential mechanisms are discussed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T10:15:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/65141 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | en_US |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T10:15:47Z |
| publishDate | 2011 |
| publisher | American Meteorological Society |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/651412022-09-26T16:49:02Z Laboratory Experiments on the Interaction of a Buoyant Coastal Current with a Canyon: Application to the East Greenland Current Sutherland, David A. Cenedese, Claudia Joint Program in Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science and Engineering Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Sutherland, David A. Sutherland, David A. This paper presents a set of laboratory experiments focused on how a buoyant coastal current flowing over a sloping bottom interacts with a canyon and what controls the separation, if any, of the current from the upstream canyon bend. The results show that the separation of a buoyant coastal current depends on the current width W relative to the radius of curvature of the bathymetry ρc. The flow moved across the mouth of the canyon (i.e., separated) for W/ρc > 1, in agreement with previous results. The present study extends previous work by examining both slope-controlled and surface-trapped currents, and using a geometry specific to investigating buoyant current–canyon interaction. The authors find that, although bottom friction is important in setting the position of the buoyant front, the separation process driven by the inertia of the flow could overcome even the strongest bathymetric influence. Application of the laboratory results to the East Greenland Current (EGC), an Arctic-origin buoyant current that is observed to flow in two branches south of Denmark Strait, suggests that the path of the EGC is influenced by the large canyons cutting across the shelf, as the range of W/ρc in the ocean spans those observed in the laboratory. What causes the formation of a two-branched EGC structure downstream of the Kangerdlugssuaq Canyon (68°N, 32°W) is still unclear, but potential mechanisms are discussed. National Science Foundation (U.S.) (NSF Grant OCE-0450658) Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution National Science Foundation (U.S.) (NSF OCE-0350891) 2011-08-15T16:12:50Z 2011-08-15T16:12:50Z 2009-05 2008-12 Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle 0022-3670 1520-0485 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/65141 Sutherland, David A., and Claudia Cenedese. “Laboratory Experiments on the Interaction of a Buoyant Coastal Current with a Canyon: Application to the East Greenland Current.” Journal of Physical Oceanography 39.5 (2009) : 1258-1271. © 2011 American Meteorological Society. en_US http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/2008jpo4028.1 Journal of Physical Oceanography Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use. application/pdf American Meteorological Society American Meteorological Society |
| spellingShingle | Sutherland, David A. Cenedese, Claudia Laboratory Experiments on the Interaction of a Buoyant Coastal Current with a Canyon: Application to the East Greenland Current |
| title | Laboratory Experiments on the Interaction of a Buoyant Coastal Current with a Canyon: Application to the East Greenland Current |
| title_full | Laboratory Experiments on the Interaction of a Buoyant Coastal Current with a Canyon: Application to the East Greenland Current |
| title_fullStr | Laboratory Experiments on the Interaction of a Buoyant Coastal Current with a Canyon: Application to the East Greenland Current |
| title_full_unstemmed | Laboratory Experiments on the Interaction of a Buoyant Coastal Current with a Canyon: Application to the East Greenland Current |
| title_short | Laboratory Experiments on the Interaction of a Buoyant Coastal Current with a Canyon: Application to the East Greenland Current |
| title_sort | laboratory experiments on the interaction of a buoyant coastal current with a canyon application to the east greenland current |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/65141 |
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