A Model of the Near-Surface Circulation of the Santa Barbara Channel: Comparison with Observations and Dynamical Interpretations

Abstract Previous studies indicate the importance of wind, wind curl, and density differences in driving the near-surface circulation in the Santa Barbara Channel (SBC). Here model sensitivity experiments and dynamical analyses of the near-surface currents in the SBC are presented. Various approximations of the wind—from coarse-resolution European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) archives to a high-resolution dataset that incorporates buoy, oil-platform, and land-based wind stations—are used. In some experiments, observed temperatures at 10 moorings are also assimilated into the model. Model solutions are sensitive to channel-scale [O(10 km)] wind distribution. Modeled currents forced by the ECMWF wind yield poor results when compared with observations. The simulation using the high-resolution wind (without assimilation) captures the observed spatial and seasonal patterns of the circulation, though the intensity is underestimated. With assimilation, the intensity is increased. In particul...

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