APPLICATION OF THE MODEL TO THE { 



NEW YORK BIGHT 



The region under consideration was divided into six sections normal to 



the coast (fig. 2). Along each section the mean wind stress data given by 



Hidaka (1958) was used to compute x . Climatological density data obtained 



from the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) , in conjunction with 



specific oceanographic cruises, were used to approximate the mean density 



gradient lE , along the various sections. 

 8n 



The N.O.D.C. data were obtained by 1/4 degree squares for the region in 



question at various standard depths on a monthly basis. Seasonal density 



fields were then prepared by combining three months data. A weighted average 



density was then computed for each 1/4 degree square. These weighted average 



density data were combined with vertical average density fields from specific cruises 



to produce preliminary seasonal average density fields for each season (fig. 3). 



Density gradients, ^, were then estimated from these diagrams along each 

 3n 



section. Depths, h, were estimated from charts of submarine topography. These 



T , l£, and h values v.'ere then substituted into the component form of equation 

 3n 



(6) (Appendix III) with A=100 [gm cm--*^ sec--*-]. The coastal "sea current" for 



the four seasons were then computed (fig. 4). 



The results indicate that the terms which contain the x dependence dominate 



the flow pattern in the winter months (December, January, February). In the 



summer months (June, July, August) the flow is dominated by terms that contain 



^P dependence. This indicates that winter flow is basically wind driven and 



an 



summer flow density driven. In this light, modeled summer flow more closely 



paralleled isopycnals then did winter. Additionally, in accord with the 



observations of Bumpus (1965) , the flow along the Long Island coast during the 



winter season shows a slight off-shore tendency. 



