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GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS,
VOL. 33,
L22S01,
doi:10.1029/2006GL026911,
2006
Delayed coastal upwelling along the U.S. West Coast in 2005: A historical perspective
Franklin B. Schwing
Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Environmental Research Division, NOAA, Pacific Grove, California, USA
Nicholas A. Bond
Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
Steven J. Bograd
Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Environmental Research Division, NOAA, Pacific Grove, California, USA
Todd Mitchell
Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
Michael A. Alexander
Earth System Research Laboratory, NOAA, Boulder, Colorado, USA
Nathan Mantua
Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
Abstract
The timing of the onset of coastal upwelling in spring and its intensity over the upwelling season are critical factors in
the productivity and structure of the California Current ecosystem (CCE). We use an index of coastal upwelling to characterize
physical forcing over the latitudinal extent of the CCE, and compare the evolution of the upwelling season in 2005 with previous
years. The onset of coastal upwelling in 2005 in the northern California Current was delayed by 2–3 months. Upwelling was
stronger than normal in the latter part of the upwelling season, allowing the cumulative upwelling to reach the climatological
mean by fall. Although physical conditions were unusual in 2005, they were not unprecedented in the historical record. However,
the timing and strength of coastal upwelling is a critical ecological factor, particularly for species whose life histories
are closely tuned to the annual cycle. The unusual physical and biological conditions observed in spring 2005 illustrate the
sensitivity of the CCE to possible future climate extremes.
Received 15
May
2006;
accepted 9
August
2006;
published 7
October
2006.
Index Terms: 4227 Oceanography: General: Diurnal, seasonal, and annual cycles (0438); 4279 Oceanography: General: Upwelling and convergences (4964); 4215 Oceanography: General: Climate and interannual variability (1616, 1635, 3305, 3309, 4513); 4223 Oceanography: General: Descriptive and regional oceanography; 4572 Oceanography: Physical: Upper ocean and mixed layer processes.
Read Full Article (file size: 1264457 bytes) Cited by
Citation: Schwing, F. B., N. A. Bond, S. J. Bograd, T. Mitchell, M. A. Alexander, and N. Mantua
(2006),
Delayed coastal upwelling along the U.S. West Coast in 2005: A historical perspective,
Geophys. Res. Lett.,
33,
L22S01,
doi:10.1029/2006GL026911.
Copyright 2006 by the American Geophysical Union.
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