FY 1983

Winter-time near-surface currents in the Strait of Juan de Fuca

Holbrook, J.R., and D. Halpern

Atmos.-Ocean, 20, doi: 10.1080/07055900.1982.9649149, 327–339 (1982)

During November 1976 to February 1977 near-surface wind, current and temperature measurements were made at three sites along the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Strong tidal currents and major intrusions of warmer, fresher offshore coastal water were superimposed upon the estuarine circulation of near-surface seaward flow. The r.m.s. amplitudes of the diurnal and semidiurnal tidal currents were 30 cm s and 30–47 cm s, respectively. The vector-mean flow at 4-m depth was seaward and decreased in speed from 28 cm s at 74 km from the entrance to 9 cm s at 11 km from the entrance. On five occasions intrusions of 1–3°C warmer northeast Pacific coastal water occurred for durations of 1–10 days. The 25 cm s up-strait speed of the intrusive lens agreed to within 20% of the gravity current speed computed from Benjamin's (1968) hydraulic model. The near-surface currents associated with the intrusions and the southerly coastal winds were significantly correlated, indicating that the intrusions were initiated when shoreward Ekman currents advected Pacific coastal water into the Strait. The reversals were not significantly coherent with the along-strait sea surface slope measured along the north side of the Strait nor were they strongly related to local wind forcing.