[SLS Pre-Defense] Elena Perez

“A characterization of the Slope Jet: its mean state, variability, and seasonal structure”

The Slope Jet is a southwestward-flowing current in the western Slope Sea, between the shelfbreak and the Gulf Stream North Wall. Despite its importance to regional circulation, the Slope Jet has received little attention over the past two decades. Here, we use nearly three years of Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) observations from the Oleander program (September 2023–May 2026) to characterize the Slope Jet’s mean state, variability, and relationship to other features in the Slope Sea, such as Gulf Stream meanders or eddies. We identify the Slope Jet in 143 sections and find a median southwestward velocity of 0.25 m/s, a jet width of 64 km, and transport of 1.96 Sv. The Slope Jet varies between sections and shows seasonal differences in its mean structure. In winter, the jet is faster, narrower, and more coherent, while in summer it is slower, wider, and more diffuse, consistent with seasonal changes in Slope Gyre strength and regional wind stress curl. Large, O(100 km), warm core rings disrupt the typical Slope Sea circulation, making the Slope Jet undetectable during their passage, while smaller cyclonic eddies have little apparent effect. Finally, we find that the Slope Jet is usually aligned with the northern limb of the Slope Gyre, but not always. This suggests that the Slope Jet may represent a combination of local wind-driven recirculation and upstream southwestward flow from east of the New England Seamounts.

Sack Lunch Seminar Series —
Informal seminar series within PAOC (Program in Atmospheres, Oceans, and Climate) that focuses on more specialized topics than the PAOC Colloquium. The presentations are either given by an invited speaker or by a member of PAOC and can focus on new research or discussion of a paper of particular interest.

Contact: sacklunch-committee@mit.edu