Upwelling on SE Florida Shelf
Past studies, partner capabilities, and proposed future work
Lew Gramer, [email protected]
Including results from Dr. Alex Soloviev,
[email protected]
In collaboration with Tom Carsey and Jack
Stamates @AOML, Ken Banks @Broward,
Erin McDevitt, Jeff Beal, Erick Ault
Study region – bathymetry
Mainland
Florida
Port
Everglades
Straits of Florida
(deeper than 300m)
Study region – observations
TeraSAR‐X polarimetry. Courtesy of Dr. Susanne Lehner (DLR, Germany)
Calypso ADCP Buoy: 4 years of observations
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11 m ADCP mooring: 12 years of observations
Sea temperature – above Palm Beach
Unexplained Extreme Upwelling Event in July 2010
Upwelling event on the Dania Bach shelf. Data from the NSUOC bottom mooring deployed at 11 m isobath.
AOML 2009 cruise aboard R/V Nancy Foster
Ship Hull‐Mounted ADCP data: Coastal and offshore currents, and eddies
EC #3
EC #2
EC #1
AOML 2009 cruise aboard R/V Nancy Foster
Ship Hull‐Mounted ADCP data: Coastal and offshore currents, and eddies:
ƒ Ocean current reversals on/offshore at depth (30 to 100 meters)
ƒ Dynamical signatures of eddies (seawater density anomalies)
ƒ Thermocline uplift beneath eddies – especially on the shelf/reef crest
ƒ Nutrient and chlorophyll a enhancement near the ocean surface
Eddy Candidate #1
AOML 2009 cruise aboard R/V Nancy Foster
Coastal Upwelling on SE Florida shelf:
ƒ Ocean current reversals on/offshore at depth (30 to 100 meters)
ƒ Dynamical signatures of eddies (seawater density anomalies)
ƒ Thermocline uplift beneath eddies – especially on the shelf/reef crest
ƒ Nutrient (NOx, NH4, PO4) and chlorophyll a enhancement near the ocean surface
EC #1
#2
2009: AOML Moorings
Winter 2009:
EC #3
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Vertical moorings off Broward, Boca
Thermistors at ~10, 20, 30m depth
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Rapid temperature changes: T~6‐12hr
Significant cooling: 7‐8ºC at depth
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Simultaneous with larger scale eddy circulating off the Florida Keys
But >100km away from that eddy!
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Consistent with internal wave packets propagating along the shelf – a possible physical mechanism to explain “bleeding eddies” often seen on Florida reef tract?
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How common are these events? Independent verification of mechanism (internal waves, seiches, other), their frequency, and impacts are needed…
Proposed work: 2013‐2015
– 2013: What can we glean from previous studies?
– Seasonal incidence of upwelling (sea temperature)
– Geographic patterns of upwelling (sea temperature, currents)
– Dominant physical mechanisms of upwelling (currents)
– 2014: What are nutrient fluxes associated with it?
– Analysis of previous ship‐board studies
– Targeted water sampling
– 2015: Contribution to SE Florida nutrient budgets
– Spatial and seasonal patterns
– Net contribution to overall mass balance budget
Partners for proposed work
– NOAA AOML – past data, current expertise
– Sea temperatures, ocean currents
– In‐water nutrient sampling
– Heat‐budget model: telling upwelling from air‐sea fluxes
– Nova Oceanographic Center
– Sea temperature
– Ocean currents data
– Expertise in physical oceanography of SE Florida shelf
– State partners
– Florida DEP CRCP – data, guidance on end‐products
– Florida FWC – data, field partnerships, end‐users