The California Current and Coastal Upwelling

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The California Current and Coastal Upwelling

• Allison Parker
• Physical Oceanography
• November 20, 2007

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The California Current

• Cool water current running from the eastern coast
  of North America from Alaska to Baja California
• Characterized by coastal upwelling
• Part of the Central Pacific Gyre

Source US GLOBEC, Oregon State Univ.
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The Driving Force The Westerlies

• The Westerlies drive the California Current
• Ekman Pumping supports the important regional
  coastal upwelling
• Winds are strongest in spring and summer,
  yielding strong upwelling

Source NOAA Fisheries Service
Source Kathleen Wong
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Sea Surface Temperatures off the coast of
California in July
Source Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
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Coastal Upwelling Index

• Developed in 1973 by Dr. Andy Bakun
• Measure of the volume of water that upwells along
  the coast identifies the amount of off shore
  transport of surface waters

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Upwelling Index Anomaly off the coast of Newport,
California
 
 
Anomalies of the Coastal Upwelling Index during
May to September From 1947 to 2006 off Newport,
California (45 N)
Source NOAA Fisheries Service
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Coastal Upwelling Impacts on Fisheries

• Upwelled water is typically high in nutrients and
  produces a 'bloom' in phytoplankton growth.
• Large swarms of krill gather to feed on
  phytoplankton and attract fish, seabirds, and
  marine mammals who feed on the krill and or each
  other.

Source Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
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Coastal Upwelling Impacts on Fisheries
Using satellite data, scientists can estimate how
quickly microscopic plants are growing in the
ocean. Red and yellow colors indicate regions of
fastest growth, revealing the fertility of
coastal waters. Tiny plants known as
phytoplankton form the base of the food web,
providing food for microscopic animals that in
turn provide food for larger animals. Source
Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers
University
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The California Current
Sea Lions in a reef off the coast of Monterey
Bay, California
Source Kathleen Wong