Journal article
Summer sea surface temperature fronts and elevated chlorophyll-a in the entrance to Spencer Gulf, South Australia
P Petrusevics, J Bye, J Luick, CEP Teixeira
Continental Shelf Research | PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD | Published : 2011
Abstract
Historical and recent oceanographic cruise data, MODIS chlorophyll-a satellite data, and an analytical model are used to examine SST fronts in the entrance to Spencer Gulf, South Australia. The fronts (2-3 °C) due to the contrast between warm Spencer Gulf waters and cooler waters of the continental shelf are readily observable on satellite imagery. Three water masses: cool, fresh upwelled shelf water; warm, salty Great Australian Bight water; and very warm and salty Spencer Gulf bottom water occupy the area. In consequence a summer density minimum is formed at the entrance to Spencer Gulf. The analytical model predicts that this thermohaline structure sets up an ageostrophic circulation, whi..
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Funding Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to the crew of the MV Boobook and colleagues from the School of Earth Sciences, the Flinders University of South Australia (especially Professor Geoff. Lennon and Dr Rick Nunes Vaz) and also the CSIRO Marine data section in Hobart for the supply of the 1989 RV Franklin cruise data, and to Dr. John Middleton of SARDI and the crew of MV Ngerin for the 2009 cruise data. The SeaWIFS and MODIS Project and the Distributed Active Archive Centre at the Goddard Space Flight Centre, Greenbelt MD 20771 are also gratefully acknowledged for the production and distribution of these data. Carlos Teixeira was supported by the Brazilian Research Council (CAPES 4012-05-4).