COASTAL UPWELLING OFF SOUTH WEST NOVA SCOTIA SIMULATED WITH A HIGH RESOULTION BAROCLINIC OCEAN MODEL

The coastal waters off South West Nova Scotia (SWNS) lie between the Scotian Shelf and Gulf of Maine (Figure 1). These waters are distinguished for their high levels ofproductivity, characterized by cold and nutrient-rich surface waters during summer [1]. Previous studies have shown that local upwelling and tidal mixing contribute tothe productivity of this region [2-3]. According to these studies, tidal rectification generates cross-isobath onshore currents that bring water parcels from deeper regions toshallower area. The water parcels are then vertically transported to the surface by strong tidal mixing. Although the mechanism for creating onshore currents has beenidentified, the effects of baroclinicity on these currents have not been addressed. Furthermore, the origin of the water parcels entering the upwelling area and theirdestination is not clear. This paper attempts to study these aspects through results from a high resolution numerical model and particle tracking.