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Spatial and temporal seasonal trends in coastal upwelling off Northwest Africa, 1981-2012

Cropper, Thomas E., Hanna, Edward and Bigg, Grant R. 2014. Spatial and temporal seasonal trends in coastal upwelling off Northwest Africa, 1981-2012. Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers 86 , pp. 94-111. 10.1016/j.dsr.2014.01.007

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Abstract

Seasonal coastal upwelling was analyzed along the NW African coastline (11–35°N) from 1981 to 2012. Upwelling magnitudes are calculated by wind speed indices, sea-surface temperature indices and inferred from meteorological station, sea-surface height and vertical water column transport data. A permanent annual upwelling regime is documented across 21–35°N and a seasonal regime across 12–19°N, in accordance with the climatology of previous studies. Upwelling regions were split into three zones: (1) the Mauritania–Senegalese upwelling zone (12–19°N), (2) the strong permanent annual upwelling zone (21–26°N) and (3) the weak permanent upwelling zone (26–35°N). We find compelling evidence in our various indices for the Bakun upwelling intensification hypothesis due to a significant coastal summer wind speed increase, resulting in an increase in upwelling-favorable wind speeds north of 20°N and an increase in downwelling-favorable winds south of 20°N. The North Atlantic Oscillation plays a leading role in modifying interannual variability during the other seasons (autumn–spring), with its influence dominating in winter. The East Atlantic pattern shows a strong correlation with upwelling during spring, while El Niño Southern Oscillation and Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation teleconnections were not found. A disagreement between observationally-based wind speed products and reanalysis-derived data is explored. A modification to the Bakun upwelling intensification hypothesis for NW Africa is presented, which accounts for the latitudinal divide in summer wind regimes

Item Type: Article
Date Type: Publication
Status: Published
Schools: Earth and Environmental Sciences
Publisher: Elsevier
ISSN: 0967-0637
Date of First Compliant Deposit: 9 June 2016
Date of Acceptance: 30 January 2014
Last Modified: 06 May 2023 07:57
URI: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/91581

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