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Wiley, Journal of Geophysical Research. Oceans, 10(118), p. 5844-5857

DOI: 10.1002/jgrc.20403

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Seasonal circulation over the Catalan inner-shelf (northwest Mediterranean Sea)

This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Abstract

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2013. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 118 (2013): 5844–5857, doi:10.1002/jgrc.20403. ; This study characterizes the seasonal cycle of the Catalan inner-shelf circulation using observations and complementary numerical results. The relation between seasonal circulation and forcing mechanisms is explored through the depth-averaged momentum balance, for the period between May 2010 and April 2011, when velocity observations were partially available. The monthly-mean along-shelf flow is mainly controlled by the along-shelf pressure gradient and by surface and bottom stresses. During summer, fall, and winter, the along-shelf momentum balance is dominated by the barotropic pressure gradient and local winds. During spring, both wind stress and pressure gradient act in the same direction and are compensated by bottom stress. In the cross-shelf direction the dominant forces are in geostrophic balance, consistent with dynamic altimetry data. ; The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007/2013) under grant agreement 242284 (Field_ac project). ; 2014-04-25