Graduate Thesis Or Dissertation
 

Decomposition of absorption coefficients and decorrelation lengthscales of hydrographic and inherent optical properties in the Middle Atlantic Bight

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  • This investigation is an exploration of the use of inherent optical properties towards further elucidation of coastal circulation processes occurring on the continental shelf and slope in the Middle Atlantic Bight, south of Cape Cod Massachusetts, during 14-Aug to 1-Sep 1996 and 25-Apr to 15-May 1997. Assessing the possibility of augmenting observations in temperature and salinity space with the use of naturally occurring tracers is a primary motivation. A decomposition method for the total (minus water) absorption coefficients into major light-absorbing components (phytoplankton, gelbstoff and tripton) was developed to examine distributions of potentially, independently behaving naturally occurring tracers. The goal is to quantify the spatial dependence between the hydrographic and optical properties and how that dependence might vary with seasons. The decomposition of the total (minus water) absorption coefficient showed the contrast between the turbid shelf and clearer slope waters. The individual components enabled the visualization of the frontal dynamics. The distributions of the total (minus water) absorption components demonstrate evidence of the relative insulation of the shelf waters from slope waters and the strong horizontal gradient imposed by the shelfbreak front. The decorrelation lengthscales, L, calculated for the summer data indicate the summer spatial dependence of the hydrographic and optical properties. The magnitude of L for the cross-shelf mean series of both hydrographic and optical properties at fixed depths is 0(10 km) above the pycnocline, then decreases to 2 km near the bottom. The mean cross-shelf L magnitudes and vertical structure are likely caused by meanders (horizontal scale ≈ 30 km) of the shelfbreak front at the surface, while the decrease near the bottom is influenced by the stability of the foot of the shelfbreak front as well as the turbulent mixing in the bottom boundary layer. The L's over the individual shelf and slope series are coincident with the observed internal deformation radius (LR = 5 km). Summer anomaly series both in depth and density coordinates show the influence of internal solitary wave packets in perturbing the mean field.
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