The Circulation along Australia's Southern Shelves
The circulation along Australia's southern shelves is affected by the Leeuwin Current in the west and equatorward Sverdrup transport in the south. The latter leads to the Flinders Current, a "small" sister current to the main western boundary currents of the world. During winter and summer, the winds near the shelf reverse leading to coastal currents that flow to the east (winter) and west (summer). very strong downwelling (to depths of 150 m) dominates during winter, while during summer, episodic upwelling occurs between the Eyre Peninsula and Portland. Atmospheric heating and cooling is also important to the circulation and flushing of the Gulfs. Research into this fascinating region continues and some results are summarised below.
Wind
forced Downwelling: an idealised study
Wind forced
upwelling: the role of the surface mixed layer
Slope current set-up near
a strait
The
Flinders Current: a northern boundary current
The
Mean Wintertime Circulation along Australia's Southern Shelves
The
Mean Summertime Circulation along Australia's Southern Shelves
The 1998-1999
Weather-band Variability and Upwelling off the South Australian Shelf. (13
Mg)
Middleton,
J. F. and M. Cirano, 2005: The wintertime circulation along the
south-eastern Australian shelf: a numerical study. J. Geophys. Res., 110, C12012, doi:10.1029/2004JC002855.
McClatchie,
S., J.F. Middleton, and T. Ward, 2006: Water mass analysis and alongshore
variation in upwelling intensity in the eastern Great Australian Bight. J.
Geophys. Res., 111, C08007, doi:10.1029/2004JC002699
Middleton,
J. F., and J.T Bye, 2007: The Physical Oceanography of Australia’s Southern
Shelves: a review. Progress in Oceanography, accepted.
http://www.marine.csiro.au/~griffin/SEF/index.htm
South-East Fishery
Movies (David Griffin)