Mesoscale events off the coast of Oregon (US): a satellite point of view

SARACENO, M., AND P.. STRUB

Timberline Lodge, Mt. Batchelor, Oregon, USA

Conferencia; 53th Annual Eastern Pacific Ocean Conference (EPOC); 2006

Along track Sea Level Anomalies (SLA) derived fromradar satellites measurements are combined with tidegauges time series to produce gridded fields of SLA in thewest coast of North America (39–49oN, 123.5–127oW) forthe period 1999–2004. The results do not show significantdifferences compared to the grid fields provided by AVISOCLSin the region far from the coast, while in the nearshoreregion the derived geostrophic velocities show amore realistic pattern. Based on this new data-set, twoexamples of mesoscale events that contribute to a nettransport across the shelf in the boreal winter-autumn areshown. The mechanisms responsible of these events arediscussed.