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Jacqueline Poglodek Project Proposal:

Coastal Upwelling Variations along the New Jersey Shoreline

Background Research: Immediate temperature is affected by onshore breezes.
Upwelling is defined as the rise of water all the way from near the ocean floor to the
surface that occurs in particular regions of the ocean (Allaby). They affect the
temperature of the air in contact with the surface (Allaby). Upwelling can be due to
offshore and onshore winds (Barua 307). Between the breezes and the less dense air
mass, the land heats up. Temperature should be used, rather than density, as an
indicator for the upwelling events because it was more sensitive to transport (Yankovsky
and Garvine).
Upwelling creates a greater wind field, and the result of cooler surface water is
due to strong west and southwest winds. An upwelling is a wind driven phenomenon
(Croll et. Al. 118). Correct surface winds, in means of intensity and normality, are crucial
for driving oceanic circulation models to produce accurate wind-driven surface currents
(Peng et. Al.) Upwelling is not a temporally continuous or spatially uniform process, but
varies episodically with upwelling favorable winds and with local bathymetric and
topographic features of the coastline (Macias et.Al.).
The Ekman layer is at an angle of 90 to the wind (Smith). It is the change in
direction of current, and the lower velocity that occurs in water layers with increased
depth (Smith). The calculation of the Ekman transport requires the wind stress value
(Enriquez and Friehe 1651). Wind stress can be calculated by using measurements
from buoys and stations (Barth et. Al). Wind stress also sets in motion the water
movement in the surface layer of the ocean (Smith).
Variations in winds and upwellings are important to people with functions by the
ocean. For example, fisheries that are sustained by the upwelling nutrients fail and
populations that are economically dependent on them suffer badly (Allaby). Upwelling is
responsible for cooler, nutrient rich water. Upwelled water brings with it a higher
concentration of nutrients than that at the surface of the water (Barua 307).

Proposed Methods:
The Sites: The locations in which the weather stations are located are various positions
along the New Jersey coast from Sandy Hook south to Cape May. This is where the
LEO-15 is able to collect upwelling data from, so these locations will be used for the
meteorological comparison. Buoys from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration National Data Buoy Center are located in three locations along the coast,
so the information given by them will also be used in comparison.

Data Collection: The data for this project will be found online using the NOAA buoys,
where the data is on their website, and the stations from wunderground.com. I would
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like to collect as many values as possible, because weather can change so quickly, so I
will collect for a span of six months. As for timing, I will base my dates on when the
Rutgers Coastal Ocean Observation Lab upwelling maps, which contain surface water
temperatures, are available. Weather Underground and NOAAs buoys have consistent
data, while the upwelling maps are based off the LEO-15 satellite which can be blocked
by clouds, and does not compute data as frequently.

Determination of Upwelling: Rutgers Coastal Ocean Observation Lab, along with the
NOAA buoys, give data pertaining to water and surface temperature. The weather
stations provided by Weather Underground collect all of the meteorological information,
including wind gusts and instantaneous speeds. Using mathematical models and
formulas, values for wind stress and upwelling indices will be computed (Bakun and
Nelson 1816).

Predicable Model: Based upon the strength of the trend of the winds and upwellings, I
should be able to create a model of what I believe will occur in the future. I will use
known mathematical equations and models to back my forecast as well.

Proposed Statistical Analysis: This study will be based on time and location rather
than comparing parameters, as the main purpose is to determine a variation in
upwellings as the weather changes. A series of ANOVA tests will be run in order to
compare the upwelling and meteorological values amongst the different sites and dates.

Project Timetable:
June 30, 2013 December 31, 2013: Data collection
January 1, 2014: Begin statistically analyzing and computing data
January 16, 2014: Begin comparing and visually presenting data
February 1, 2014: Begin to put together poster and final written pieces












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Literature Cited
Allaby, Michael. "Upwelling." Science Online Facts on File. Encyclopedia of Weather
and Climate, n.d. Web. 9 June 2013.
Bakun, Andrew, and Craig S. Nelson. The Seasonal Cycle of Wind-Stress Curl in
Subtropical Eastern Boundary Current Regions. American Meteorological
Society. Journal of Physical Oceanography, Dec. 1991. Web. 3 June 2013.
Bakun, Andrew. Global Climate Change and Intensification of Coastal Ocean Upwelling.
Science Magazine, Jan. 1990. Web. 9 June 2013.
Barth, John A., Bruce A. Menge, Jane Lubchenco, Francis Chan, John M. Bane,
Anthony R. Kirincich, Margaret A. McManus, Karina J. Neilsen, Stephen D.
Pierce, and Libe Washburn. Delayed Upwelling Alters Nearshore Coastal Ocean
Ecosystems in the Northern California Current. Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 22 Jan. 2007. Web. 9
June 2013.
Barua, Dilip K. "Coastal Upwelling and Downwelling." Encyclopedia of Coastal Science.
Netherlands: n.p., 2005. 306-08. Science Reference Center. Web. 12 June 2013.
Croll, Donald A., Baldo Marinovic, Scott Benson, Francisco P. Chavez, Nancy Black,
Richard Ternullo, and Bernie R. Tershy. From Wind to Whales: Trophic Links in a
Coastal Upwelling System. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 30 Mar. 2005. Web.
9 June 2013.
Enriquez, A. G., and C. A. Friehe. Effects of Wind Stress and Wind Stress Curl
Variability on Coastal Upwelling. American Meteorological Society. Journal of
Physical Oceanography, July 1995. Web. 9 June 2013.
Macias, Diego, Michael R. Landry, Alexander Gershunov, Arthur J. Miller, and Peter
J.S. Franks. Climatic Control of Upwelling Variability along the Western North-
American Coast. PLOS One, 19 Jan. 2012. Web. 12 June 2013.
"National Data Buoy Center." National Data Buoy Center. National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, May-June 2013. Web. 13 June 2013.
Peng, Ge, Christopher N.K. Mooers, and Hans C. Grabers. Coastal Winds in South
Florida. American Meteorological Society. Journal of Applied Meteorology and
Climatology, Dec. 1999. Web. 9 June 2013.
"Sea Surface Temperature." Satellite Imagery - IMCS Coastal Ocean Observation Lab.
Rutgers University, 2013. Web. 13 June 2013.
Smith, Jacqueline. "Ekman Effect." The Facts On File Dictionary of Weather and
Climate. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Science Online Facts on File. Web. 9 June 2013.
"Weather Forecast & Reports." Weather Forecast & Reports. Weather Underground,
n.d. Web. 13 June 2013.
Yankovsky, Alexander E., and Richard W. Garvine. Subinertial Dynamics on the Inner
New Jersey Shelf during the Upwelling Season. American Meteorological
Society. Journal of Physical Oceanography, Dec. 1998. Web. 3 June 2013.