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AGU: Geophysical Research Letters

 

Keywords

  • upwelling
  • decadal changes
  • Canary Current System

Index Terms

  • Oceanography: Physical: Decadal ocean variability
  • Oceanography: General: Upwelling and convergences
  • Oceanography: Physical: Eastern boundary currents

Abstract

GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 36, L22601, 4 PP., 2009
doi:10.1029/2009GL040504

Importance of the mesoscale in the decadal changes observed in the northern Canary upwelling system

P. Relvas

Centro de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal

J. Luís

Centro de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal

A. M. P. Santos

IPIMAR, INRB, Lisbon, Portugal

Analysis of sea surface temperature (SST) time series since 1960 from existing data bases shows a generalized warming trend in the northern Canary upwelling system. The field of the satellite-derived SST trends off Western Iberia was built at the pixel scale (4 × 4 km) for the period 1985–2008, revealing significant spatial differences in the warming rates. Weaker warming trends fit to the known upwelling pattern off the southern part of the Western Iberia, pointing out the intensification of this feature since 1985, particularly during the peak summer months. A more regular behavior is found further north suggesting significant decadal changes in the mesoscale patterns of the northern Canary upwelling system.

Received 10 August 2009; accepted 21 October 2009; published 19 November 2009.

Citation: Relvas, P., J. Luís, and A. M. P. Santos (2009), Importance of the mesoscale in the decadal changes observed in the northern Canary upwelling system, Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L22601, doi:10.1029/2009GL040504.

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