TY - JOUR
T1 - Dense shelf water formation along the south-west Australian inner shelf
AU - Pattiaratchi, Charitha
AU - Hollings, Ben
AU - Woo, Mun
AU - Welhena, Thisara
PY - 2011/5
Y1 - 2011/5
N2 - Hydrological data from a repeated cross-shore transect obtained using Teledyne Webb Research Slocum Electric gliders offshore Two Rocks in south-western Australia over 13 months are presented. The data revealed that formation of dense water inshore and its transport across the shelf as a near bed gravity current (defined as Dense Shelf Water Cascade, DSWC) was a regular occurrence, particularly during autumn and winter months. In autumn, the dense water is mainly formed through changes in salinity resulting from evaporation, whilst in winter; temperature change through surface cooling was the dominant factor. The mean wind speeds also decrease during the transition during autumn. The speed of the DSWC was estimated to be 0.01–0.02 m s−1, and similar to that measured in other selected regions globally. The offshore transport from the shelf is a significant component of the alongshore wind-driven transport.
AB - Hydrological data from a repeated cross-shore transect obtained using Teledyne Webb Research Slocum Electric gliders offshore Two Rocks in south-western Australia over 13 months are presented. The data revealed that formation of dense water inshore and its transport across the shelf as a near bed gravity current (defined as Dense Shelf Water Cascade, DSWC) was a regular occurrence, particularly during autumn and winter months. In autumn, the dense water is mainly formed through changes in salinity resulting from evaporation, whilst in winter; temperature change through surface cooling was the dominant factor. The mean wind speeds also decrease during the transition during autumn. The speed of the DSWC was estimated to be 0.01–0.02 m s−1, and similar to that measured in other selected regions globally. The offshore transport from the shelf is a significant component of the alongshore wind-driven transport.
U2 - 10.1029/2011GL046816
DO - 10.1029/2011GL046816
M3 - Article
SN - 0094-8276
VL - 38
JO - Geophysical Research Letters
JF - Geophysical Research Letters
IS - 10
ER -