Research Document - 2000/060

Physical oceanographic conditions on the Scotian Shelf and in the Gulf of Maine during 1999.

By .F. Drinkwater, B. Petrie, R.G. Pettipas, W.M. Petrie, and V. Soukhovtsev

Abstract

A review of physical oceanographic conditions on the Scotian Shelf and in the Gulf of Maine and adjacent offshore areas during 1999 is presented. Several significant changes have taken place. First, the cold, Labrador Slope Water observed along the outer edge of the Scotian Shelf in 1998 was replaced by Warm Slope Water. It subsequently penetrated onto the shelf through channels and gullies and displaced the cold slope water that occupied the deep basins, such as Emerald and Georges Basins, and covered much of the bottom of the southwestern Scotian Shelf. Temperatures in deep Emerald Basin increased by 2°-3°C in 1999 over 1998 values. Second, the waters below 50 m on the northeastern Scotian Shelf continued their gradually warming that began in the mid-1990s such that significant portions of the region’s waters are now above normal for the first time in approximately 15 years. The presence of these cold waters is believed to be due to a combination of advection from the Gulf of St. Lawrence and off the Newfoundland Shelf and in situ cooling during the winter. Third was that very warm surface layer waters developed over the region. Anomalies of several degrees were observed in many months. This is related to the record air temperatures observed in 1999. Finally, there was continued high stratification in the upper water column (between surface and 50 m) throughout the Scotian Shelf. This high stratification was not observed in the Gulf of Maine.

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