Southern California Oceanography Southern California Oceanography MLPA South Coast Study RegionMLPA South Coast Study Region
Oceanography Workshop September 16, 2008 • El Segundo, CA
John Largier • Bodega Marine Lab
Developing an Oceanographic Developing an Oceanographic Perspective for MLPA in S CaliforniaPerspective for MLPA in S California
What can we do with models & cartoons?What can we do with models & cartoons?
Developing an Oceanographic Developing an Oceanographic Perspective for MLPA in S CaliforniaPerspective for MLPA in S California
I
II
III
VIV
VI
-- Currents & Connectivity
-- Water type & Habitat
Southern California Oceanography MLPA SCSRSouthern California Oceanography MLPA SCSR
ConnectivityConnectivity
- typical circulation pattern- variability …
… predictable currents? … stochastic dispersion?
- features
Southern California Oceanography MLPA SCSRSouthern California Oceanography MLPA SCSR
HabitatHabitat- biogenic water properties
(SST, Chl)- water quality,
i.e., contaminants
Southern California Oceanography MLPA SCSRSouthern California Oceanography MLPA SCSR
HabitatHabitat- biogenic water properties
(SST, Chl)- water quality,
i.e., contaminants
Southern California Oceanography MLPA SCSRSouthern California Oceanography MLPA SCSR
LargeLarge--scale circulationscale circulation
What ?
wind stress curl (Dong & McW 2007)
schematic (Hickey 1992, 2003)
Southern California Oceanography MLPA SCSRSouthern California Oceanography MLPA SCSR
LargeLarge--scale circulationscale circulation
Seasonal evolution …… spring: winds & upwelling
… summer: winds relax inshore,curl & Ekman pumping, SC Counter-current Southern California Eddy
… fall: broadening recirculation becomes unstable
seasonal dynamics (Di Lorenzo 2003)
Merged MODIS Aqua and Terra products. (Aug 13 - 17, 2006). Courtesy of M. Kahru and B.G. Mitchell, OPG Group, SIO
SBC, SMB, islands,upwelling, …
Southern California Oceanography MLPA SCSRSouthern California Oceanography MLPA SCSR
Multiple scales of patterns Multiple scales of patterns ……
Southern California Oceanography MLPA SCSRSouthern California Oceanography MLPA SCSR
Shelf currentsShelf currents
Southward currents over the shelf …reversing at times (Oct-Nov?)
Huntington Beach (Noble et al 2004)
Southern California Oceanography MLPA SCSRSouthern California Oceanography MLPA SCSR
UpwellingUpwellingShallow thermoclinethroughout SCB, breaks surface at specific times & places
Pt Conception, Pt Dume, Palos Verdes, Pt Loma, S of border
Southern California Oceanography MLPA SCSRSouthern California Oceanography MLPA SCSR
UpwellingUpwelling
Thermistors N and S of Pt Loma
Zimmerman
Cross-shore transects, shelf break to the inner shelf :
distance from 20m isobath (m)
dept
h (m
)
Temperature (oC)
Nitrate conc. (μM)
Chlorophyll conc. (μg/l)
( oC)
(μM)
(μg/l)Upwelling Upwelling …… Shallow thermocline with Chl max
Drew Lucas data (unpubl.)
Southern California Oceanography MLPA SCSRSouthern California Oceanography MLPA SCSR
Internal WavesInternal Waves … and other HF motions
Temperature, fluorescence, (08/03 - 08/23/2006; 25 m WW):
Southern California Oceanography MLPA SCSRSouthern California Oceanography MLPA SCSR
Internal WavesInternal Waves … and other HF motions
Southern California Oceanography MLPA SCSRSouthern California Oceanography MLPA SCSR
WavesWaves
Southern California Oceanography MLPA SCSRSouthern California Oceanography MLPA SCSR
River and tidal plumesRiver and tidal plumes
Southern California Oceanography MLPA SCSRSouthern California Oceanography MLPA SCSR
River and tidal plumesRiver and tidal plumes
Developing an Oceanographic Developing an Oceanographic Perspective for MLPA in S CaliforniaPerspective for MLPA in S California
I
II
III
VIV
VI
-- Currents & Connectivity
-- Water type & Habitat
Southern California Oceanography MLPA SCSRSouthern California Oceanography MLPA SCSR
ConnectivityConnectivity
- typical circulation pattern- variability …
… predictable currents? … stochastic dispersion?
- features
Southern California Oceanography MLPA SCSRSouthern California Oceanography MLPA SCSR
HabitatHabitat- biogenic water properties
(SST, Chl)- water quality,
i.e., contaminants
Developing an Oceanographic Developing an Oceanographic Perspective for MLPA in S CaliforniaPerspective for MLPA in S California
What can we do with models & cartoons?What can we do with models & cartoons?