Sensitivity of Bottom Topography on the Dynamics and Sound Speed Structure in the Northern Canary Current System

摘要

The knowledge of the ocean environment, especially its littoral/coastal is important for current and future naval operations. In particular, an accurate description of the mesoscale variability of the surface and subsurface currents is essential for optimizing Navy missions. This study determines that different types of topographic smoothing and the addition of a volume constraint to a sigma-coordinate model significantly influences the generation, evolution, and maintenance of not only the surface and subsurface currents, but also other features (upwelling, meanders, eddies, filaments, Mediterranean Outflow, and Meddies) in the Northern Canary Current System (NCCS). The NCCS is chosen for this study for its classical upwelling and equatorward surface current as well as the unique impact of the Mediterranean Outflow. The sound speed structure of these features is examined to establish which regions of the NCCS experience the largest changes in sound speed and the most intense gradients. This study demonstrates that features of classic littoral/coastal eastern boundary current systems, like the NCCS, have an important impact on the sound speed structure which can significantly impact Navy sonar operations.