The Interaction Between Warm‐Core Rings and Submarine Canyons and Its Influence on the Onshore Transport of Offshore Waters

Gulf Stream warm-core rings (WCRs) impinging onto the Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB) shelf edge can induce substantial water exchange between and slope seas. Combining satellite imagery idealized ocean models, this study investigates long-neglected influence of submarine canyons on WCR impingement process. Satellite images show onshore intrusion concentrated near MAB shelf-break canyons, indicating canyon-induced enhancement cross-shelf exchange. Model simulations ring-canyon interaction qualitatively reproduce observed pattern greatly enhanced vertical motions transport in a canyon. The ring-induced transient flow canyon resolved by model is consistent with 3-dimensional circulation driven ambient along-slope steady flows as depicted literature. Cross-isobath occur over both slopes strong upwelling upstream to coastal-trapped wave propagation (the upwave slope) weak downwelling offshore downwave slope. To conserve potential vorticity, subsurface-intensified cyclonic eddy formed inside canyon, which interacts sloping bottom enhances upwelled deep transported either back ring-edge current side or across forming localized bulge pattern. While former an ephemeral process, latter represents more sustained ring water, have major implication for ecosystem dynamics at edge.