WHOI component of eastern flank frontal exchange moored
array study
R. Beardsley, R. Limeburner, C. Flagg, P. Smith, J. Loder,
and C. Hannah
A joint US/Canadian moored array was deployed during 1998-1999 to
investigate frontal exchange processes which occur in the Browns Bank -
eastern Georges Bank area during winter through spring. These processes
include a) the flow of water and biota onto Georges Bank along the
northeastern flank driven by the strong local semidiurnal tidal currents
(which can reach ~1.5 m/s during spring tide) and winter storms, and b)
the episodic advection of Scotian Shelf water directly across the
Northeast Channel onto the Bank ("cross-over" events). The moored array
data will be combined with other in-situ data (especially drifter and
hydrographic data) and modeling to develop a better understanding of the
physics of this dynamic region.
The Browns Bank (BBI, BBO)
and Northeast Channel (NECE, NECW) moorings were deployed by the Bedford
Institute of Oceanography. The
Georges Bank northern flank (NFS, NFD) and eastern flank (EF) moorings
were deployed by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI)
and the Brookhave National
Laboratories (BNL). The northeast peak (NP) mooring was
deployed by Jim Irish (WHOI). Due in part to the very strong currents
and large waves which occurred over eastern Georges Bank in winter and
the original mooring designs, the NFS and EF surface moorings moved and
had to be replaced. The NFD surface mooring also failed and was
replaced.
At this time, all moorings have been recovered and preliminary data
processing has begun.