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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Miguel Morales MaquedaORCiD
This is the final published version of an article that has been published in its final definitive form by American Geophysical Union, 2014.
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The variability in mean sea level (MSL) during 1950–2009 along the northeast American Atlantic coast north of Cape Hatteras has been studied, using data from tide gauges and satellite altimetry and information from the Liverpool/Hadley Centre (LHC) ocean model, thereby providing new insights into the spatial and temporal scales of the variability. Although a relationship between sea level and the overturning circulation can be identified (an increase of approximately 1.5 cm in MSL for a decrease of 1 Sv in overturning transport), it is the effect of the nearshore wind forcing on the shelf that is found to dominate the interannual sea-level variability. In particular, winds are found to be capable of producing low-frequency changes in MSL (“accelerations”) in a narrow coastal band, comparable to those observed by the tide gauges. Evidence is presented supporting the idea of a “'common mode” of spatially coherent low-frequency MSL variability, both to the north and south of Cape Hatteras and throughout the northwest Atlantic, which is associated with large spatial-scale density changes from year to year.
Author(s): Woodworth PL, Morales Maqueda MA, Roussenov VM, Williams RG, Hughes CW
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans
Year: 2014
Volume: 119
Issue: 12
Pages: 8916-8935
Print publication date: 29/12/2014
Online publication date: 24/11/2014
Acceptance date: 19/11/2014
Date deposited: 07/03/2017
ISSN (print): 2169-9275
ISSN (electronic): 2169-9291
Publisher: American Geophysical Union
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2014JC010520
DOI: 10.1002/2014JC010520
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