Sea-Level Slopes and Volume Fluxes Produced by Atmospheric Forcing in Estuaries: Chesapeake Bay Case Study

• DOI: 10.2112/06-0632.1
• Publication Date: 2008-03-18T18:36:00Z
• Authors: David Salas-Monreal; Arnoldo Valle-Lev...
• Keywords: Forcing (mathematics); Wind Stress; Prevailing winds; Seiche

Time series at eight locations in Chesapeake Bay and the adjacent inner shelf were used to determine relative influence of wind barometric pressure effects on subtidal sea-level variability slopes estuary. Special emphasis was placed lower Bay, where inverse accounted for up 32% variations, forcing more than 67% variance. The frequency from any given direction varied one station another due nonsynoptic characteristics atmospheric Bay. In northern bay, northwesterly winds most frequent winter, southerly summer. southern northeasterly fall southwesterly dominated These produced responses as follows: caused water pile southwestern corner whereas water-level depressions same area. This study is few document gradients estuarine slopes. It found that order magnitude (10−7) those induced by westerly–easterly winds. contrast previous studies, volume fluxes calculated here, with geostrophy, geostrophy plus stress, continuity constraint, showed drainage bay northerly filling southeasterly