High-resolution measurements made across a tidal intrusion front

被引:34
作者
Marmorino, GO
Trump, CL
机构
[1] Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC
[2] Remote Sensing Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Code 7250, Washington
关键词
D O I
10.1029/96JC02384
中图分类号
P7 [海洋学];
学科分类号
0707 ;
摘要
High spatial resolution current and hydrographic measurements have been made across a tidal intrusion front in the James River estuary, Virginia, during the first few hours of flood. The current measurements were made with a surface-towed acoustic Doppler current profiler which was used in both profile and side-scan configurations. The profile data show a 30-50 cm s(-1) inflow of water from the Chesapeake Bay, a time-evolving across-front density gradient, and downward velocity beneath the front of about 15 cm s(-1). The side-scan observations directly measure the across-front change in current and provide a view of the three-dimensional character of the frontal interface. The nearsurface horizontal strain rate, a critical parameter for understanding the modulation of surface waves across the front, is estimated to be about 0.04 s(-1). Using Phillips' [1984] theory as a guide, fronts with such large strain rates as these should be discernible in imagery from the ERS 1 C band synthetic aperture radar for wind speeds of less than or equal to 4 m s(-1).
引用
收藏
页码:25661 / 25674
页数:14
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