Preliminary temporal and spatial patterns of Bahía de Banderas (México) marine circulation, derived from satellite and in-situ measurements

Résumé 0

"Spatial and temporal surface marine circulation patterns in Bahía de Banderas were inferred employing wind speed,sea surface temperature (Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer, and thermograph), sea level time-series, and ascending anddescending tracks of the altimeter radar ERS-2. The period of these data set covered ~4 years, beginning in the summer of 1997and ending in the winter of 2002. Tides in the bay are mixed (F=0.25) with predominance of the M2 harmonic. The bay notshowed features of resonance with the open-sea tide. Mean amplitudes of 30 cm resulted in tidal velocities of less than few cm/s.Lower frequencies (periods larger than ~3 days) seem to be the main generators of marine circulation in this area, with thepredominance of seasonal signals over others. EOF methodology was applied to velocity components computed from altimeterobservations measured at the Bay´s mouth, showing to main patterns. The first pattern occurred from ~February to ~July, showingan inflow at the northern/southern portion of the Bay with an outflow at its mouth (anticyclonic pattern). The other patternextended from ~August to ~December, with opposite characteristics (cyclonic pattern). Those circulation patterns are hypotheticaluntil velocity in-situ observations provide evidence for confirmation"