North Atlantic Oscillation
Seeing the big picture in the Gulf of Maine
Major circulation patterns and the GoMOOS buoy array in the Gulf of Maine.
Map: Chris Brehme, Redrawn from map by Neal R. Pettigrew
3. GoMOOS monitors currents entering the Gulf of Maine
- Major exchange between the Gulf of Maine and the North Atlantic occurs through the Northeast Channel, between Georges Bank and Nova Scotia.
- The GoMOOS buoy array is designed in part to monitor this exchange and its effects throughout the Gulf of Maine.
- Waters from the continental slope enters at depths of 100 to 300 meters and spreads through the Gulf, ultimately bathing the coast with nutrient-rich water.
- Because the incoming currents vary in temperature, salinity, and nutrients, they can affect circulation patterns, red tides, fisheries, and lobster reproduction.
- Whether relatively warm or cold slope water enters the Gulf of Maine depends in part upon the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), or “El Niño of the Atlantic.”
1.Seeing the big picture: Introduction
2.Offshore buoys are sentinels of change
3.GoMOOS monitors currents entering the Gulf Of Maine
4."El Niño of the Atlantic" affects the incoming currents
5.Warm or cold currents can penetrate the Northeast Channel
6.Case study: Cold water invades the Gulf of Maine
7.Ripple effects reach bays and estuaries
Acknowledgements