New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts

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M99004
Received 26 January 1999; accepted 12 July 2000

Eddy energetics in the Subtropical Front over the Chatham Rise, New Zealand

STEPHEN M. CHISWELL

National Institute of Water & Atmospheric
 Research Ltd
P. O. Box 14 901, Kilbirnie
Wellington, New Zealand
email: s.chiswell@niwa.cri.nz

Abstract  The Chatham Rise, which rises to a depth of 400 m immediately to the east of New Zealand, appears to constrain the latitudinal movement of the Subtropical Front (STF). Data from current meters moored over the Chatham Rise are used to estimate the spatial variation of mean and turbulent kinetic energies and Reynolds stresses in and around the STF. Mean currents over 8 months are to the east, and are stronger south of the rise. Mean speeds at 250 m south of the rise are as high as 15 cm s^-1 compared to 4.5 cm s^-1 north of the rise. In contrast, the eddy kinetic energy is higher to the north at 8.2 J m^-3 compared to 3.3 J m^-3 to the south. Short-term current meter moorings over the crest of the rise show no coherence over length scales of 15 km for periods less than 10 days. At 250 m depth, Reynolds stresses are positive north of the rise, and negative south of it, suggesting an export of momentum away from the STF.

Keywords  Subtropical Front; Chatham Rise; currents; eddy kinetics; Reynolds stresses

New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2001, Vol. 35: 1-16

0028-8330/01/3501-0001 $7.00 (c) The Royal Society of New Zealand 2001

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (1972K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

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