Estudo numérico da circulação e da estrutura termohalina no Canal de São Sebastião. / Numerical study of the circulationand of the termohaline Structureat the São Sebastião Channel.

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2001

RESUMO

The Princeton Ocean Model was adapted to São Sebastião Channel (SSC) so as to study the seasonal changes of its circulation and thermohaline structure. Three numerical grids were nested. The coarse grid on Southeast Continental Shelf (SCS) and the fine grid on São Sebastião Channel with an intermediary grid on the region adjacent to the channel. The numerical model started from average seasonal thermohaline conditions and average monthly data forcing such as wind, heat flux, salt flux and short wave radiation flux. Within these average conditions, the numerical model simulated reasonably the typical conditions of spring, summer, autumn and winter, filling the bottom channel with South Atlantic Central Water (SACW) in spring and in summer. In autumn and in winter this mass of water is not found, nevertheless its weaker signs appear in autumn, which season one finds the stronger signs of Tropical Water (never more than 50%). The model points out the bottom south entrance of the channel, next to the São Sebastião Island (SSI) as the natural gate of colder water and the numerical simulation of a cold front through SCS suggests the quick answer of the water channel with the falling back offshore of the SACW and immediate return when the cold front is gone. Northeasterly winds on the SCS grid are essential so that the SACW enters the SSC; all the experiments with another direction winds in this grid or northeasterly winds only in the intermediate and in the fine grid failed to get in the SACW in the channel. The bottom circulation obtained in SSC is essentially to northeast and associated to the intrusion of the SACW forced in first instance by the northeasterly winds in SCS and in second instance by the pressure force (with emphasis on the baroclinic component) always bigger at the south entrance than in the north entrance and always bigger in summer than in the winter. The superficial currents are southeastward with weakening in autumn and intensification towards summer with maximum in this season.

ASSUNTO(S)

numerical modeling modelagem numérica cold front thermohaline structure frentes frias circulação estrutura termohalina currents

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