Persistent Topographic Trapping of the Middle Atlantic Bight Shelfbreak Front

Persistent Topographic Trapping of the Middle Atlantic Bight Shelfbreak Front | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 27 March 2025 V1 Latest version Share on Persistent Topographic Trapping of the Middle Atlantic Bight Shelfbreak Front Authors : Lukas L. Taenzer 0000-0002-5619-6124 [email protected] , Glen G Gawarkiewicz , and Albert J Plueddemann Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.174310328.89167578/v1 Published Journal of Physical Oceanography Version of record Peer review timeline 273 views 148 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract The Middle Atlantic Bight (MAB) shelfbreak front is a bottom-trapped frontal system at the continental shelf edge, defined by its cross-shelf buoyancy gradient and as a watermass boundary between fresh Shelf and salty Slope Water. Frontal-induced upwelling of high-nutrient water acts as the foundation of a rich frontal ecosystem, spanning across trophic levels. Idealized modeling work suggests that bottom-trapped frontal systems tend to be found at shelfbreaks because regions of rapid change in bathymetric slope accommodate frontogenesis. Here, we provide observational evidence that the foot of the seasonally-averaged MAB buoyancy-gradient front is trapped at the shelfbreak at all times of year, using data from a multi-year cross-shelfbreak glider survey along 71°W. In contrast, watermass characteristics vary across the buoyancy-gradient front on seasonal timescales. Thus, canonical frontal proxies based on fixed watermass characteristics, such as the 34.5 PSU isohaline, should be applied with caution to identify the shelfbreak front since the location of the buoyancy-gradient front and the shelf-slope watermass boundary differ seasonally, particularly at the surface. The vertical extent of the buoyancy-gradient front is strongly controlled by seasonal stratification. During the summer, differences in seasonal pycnocline depth across the shelfbreak reverse the salinity-dominated cross-shelf buoyancy gradient within the seasonal thermocline while buoyancy gradients in the lower water column persist. Seasonal differences in the vertical frontal extent explain variability in the position of the baroclinic shelfbreak jet, even with the buoyancy-gradient front trapped in the same location all year. Supplementary Material File (taenzeretal_seasonaltrappingshelfbreakfront_preprint.pdf) Download 12.97 MB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 27 March 2025 Peer review timeline Published Journal of Physical Oceanography Version of Record 1 Apr 2026 Published Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Keywords glider observations middle atlantic bight ooi coastal pioneer physical oceanography seasonal cycle shelfbreak front shelfbreak jet Authors Affiliations Lukas L. Taenzer 0000-0002-5619-6124 [email protected] Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Massachusetts Institute of Technology View all articles by this author Glen G Gawarkiewicz Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution View all articles by this author Albert J Plueddemann Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 273 views 148 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Lukas L. Taenzer, Glen G Gawarkiewicz, Albert J Plueddemann. Persistent Topographic Trapping of the Middle Atlantic Bight Shelfbreak Front. Authorea . 27 March 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.174310328.89167578/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu . 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