Calculation of mean seasonal sea surface elevation fields over the North Atlantic continental shelf and slope using historical hydrostation data

Abstract

This report details the calculation and results of a simple coastal elevation field model which was presented in a recent paper (Csanady, 1979). Seasonal mean sea surface elevation fields were calculated over the shelf-slope region off the east coast of North America north of Cape Hatteras by applying the model to a grid of averaged sigma-t's at standard depths. The sigma-t grid was calculated utilizing a data base of approximately 30,000 hydrographic stations from NODC archives. Difficulties involved with the numerical implementation of the model and economizing adaptations to the WHOI NODC data processing program, OCCOMP, are discussed.