A model for estimating cross-shore surface transport with application to the New Jersey Shelf

Abstract

A one-dimensional, steady state numerical model is developed for estimating cross-shore surface transport in shallow waters, where the water depth is comparable to boundary layer thickness. The model is used to solve a momentum equation which describes the cross-shore balance. To validate the model, acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) current data collected during an experiment off the New Jersey shelf in the summer of 1996 are used to estimate the cross-shore surface transport during that period and then compared with model predictions based on the local wind. The success of the model in estimating the cross-shore surface transport leads to an improved version of the conventional upwelling index (i.e., the Bakun Index), particularly for coastal areas with wide and shallow shelves, such as the east coast of the United States. Finally, the model, because of its simplicity, is well suited for operational applications where computational resources may be limited. Copyright 2010 by the American Geophysical Union.