Record Details

Upwelling around Cabo Frio, Brazil : the importance of wind stress curl

ScholarsArchive at Oregon State University

Field Value
Title Upwelling around Cabo Frio, Brazil : the importance of wind stress curl
Names Castelao, Renato M. (creator)
Barth, John A. (creator)
Date Issued 2006 (iso8601)
Note copyrighted by American Geophysical Union
Abstract Data from the SeaWinds scatterometer on the
QuikSCAT satellite are used to estimate upwelling around
Cabo Frio, Brazil, due to Ekman transport and Ekman
pumping. The region close to shore (up to 200 km from the
coast) is characterized by negative wind stress curl
(upwelling favorable) year-round, with maximum values
during summer, and minimum values during fall. Integrated
values from São Sebastião Island to Vitória reveal that
during summer, Ekman pumping and Ekman transport are
of the same magnitude in the region. Estimates of Ekman
transport are relatively uniform along the coast during
summer. Ekman pumping, on the other hand, is strongly
enhanced between São Sebastião Island and Vitória, the
region where the coldest water on satellite images is
frequently found. This suggests that wind stress curl-driven
upwelling is a major contributor to the coldest surface water
being found near Cabo Frio.
Genre Article
Identifier Castelao, R. M. and Barth, J. A., 2006, Upwelling around Cabo Frio, Brazil: The importance of wind stress curl: Geophys. Res. Lett., v. 33, L03602.

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