Recent Inter-Annual Variability and Climate Change Impacts over the Continental
Shelf and Slope of the Northeastern United States
Glen Gawarkiewicz and Weifeng Zhang, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
The continental shelf and slope of the northeastern United States, including the Gulf of Maine and the Middle Atlantic Bight, are susceptible to climate change impacts and enhanced inter-annual variability. This is highlighted by the spring of 2012, when temperature anomalies over the entire continental shelf exceeded 2 Degrees C over a six month period. This anomaly was due to an extended northward shift in the position of the atmospheric Jet Stream, and the position of the Jet Stream has an impact on the winter temperature over the continental shelf. This warming extended the range of fish populations to the north in 2012 and thus had significant effects on the ecosystem. The warming also affected the temperature contrast across the shelfbreak front that is the boundary between waters of the continental shelf and slope. Our perspectives on the shelf and slope variability will be improved by the Ocean Observatories Initiative Pioneer Array, which will be deployed from
2015-2020 south of New England. Preliminary science results from the Pioneer
Array will be discussed along with recent temperature trends over the continental shelf.