Circulation in an Open Bay

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Abstract
The circulation of St. Georges Bay, Nova Scotia, under stratified conditions is presented. The mean surface circulation is characterized by a clockwise eddy with velocities of about 10 cm∙s−1. Bottom (30 m) flow at the mouth is found to be < 2 cm∙s−1 out of the bay. Depth-averaged currents still exhibit the clockwise eddy. Although energy is found to be equally partitioned among the mean circulation, the tides, and low-frequency events, the latter determines the rate of exchange between the bay and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Estimates of flushing time for tides and the mean circulation is of the order of a month, while low-frequency events could flush the bay on a time scale of days. Low correlation between current meters reveals the vertical and horizontal length scales of the bay are < 10 m and 5 km, respectively. The circulation and exchange rates can significantly affect the dispersal (or exchanges with populations existing outside the bay) for passive particles such as fish eggs or larvae. Key words: coastal, bay, circulation, gyre, tides, low-frequency stratified, exchange, fish larvae

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