Currents on the continental shelf adjacent to the Laje de Santos (SP, Brazil)

Abstract Analysis of current meter data permitted the elaboration of a description of the hydrodynamic characteristics of the continental shelf adjacent to Laje de Santos, a rocky islet located in the inner part of the São Paulo Continental Shelf (SPCS). The currents in the region are mainly driven by the synoptic winds, presenting bidirectional motions approximately parallel to the local isobaths at all levels, depending on the wind direction but with the predominance of those that leave the isobaths to the left. The tidal currents in this sector of the SPCS are more energetic in the direction perpendicular to the isobaths in comparison with the along isobath component and have the predominance of the semidiurnal oscillations.摘要：本研究通过对海流计观测数据的分析，系统阐明了紧邻桑托斯礁（Laje de Santos）的大陆架海域水动力特征。桑托斯礁为坐落于圣保罗大陆架（São Paulo Continental Shelf, SPCS）内缘区域的岩质小岛。该海域海流主要受天气尺度风驱动，各层流场均呈现近似平行于局部等深线的双向流动；流态随风向变化，但主流以偏离等深线向左的方向占优。在圣保罗大陆架该区域，潮流在垂直等深线方向的流速显著强于沿等深线方向的分量，且以半日周期振荡为主要特征。