New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts

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Interactions between local winds and coastal sea surface temperatures near the Canterbury coast

IAN G. McKENDRY1 ANDREW P. STURMAN2 IAN F. OWENS2

'Department of Geography University of British Columbia Vancouver, Canada
2Department of Geography University of Canterbury Christchurch, New Zealand

Abstract A modelling and observational study was conducted in 1982-83 into the relationships between airflow and sea surface temperature along the Canterbury coast near Banks Peninsula. Near-shore sea surface temperatures dropped by as much as 3-4 °C during periods of strong offshore airflow, particularly north-westerlies. This may have been associated with coastal upwelling. A following southerly may also have contributed to this temperature drop by moving colder water from the south. The colder water appeared to produce enhanced sea breezes owing to the resulting increased temperature difference between land and sea. Both modelling and empirical evidence is given to support this. Coastal upwelling of cold water appeared to produce decreased air temperatures near the coast, although the onshore airflow warmed up as it moved inland over warmer surfaces.

Keywords sea surface temperature; sea breezes; local winds; Canterbury; air-sea interaction; coastal upwelling

New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 1988, Vol. 22: 91-100; Crown copyright 1988Received 17 November 1986; accepted 24 April 1987

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (641K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

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