Temperature and salinity variability on the eastern Newfoundland shelf: The annual harmonic

Abstract

A 36‐year time series from an oceanographic station, Sta. 27, located off St John's, Newfoundland, has been used to derive the amplitudes and phases of the annual harmonics of temperature and salinity at fixed depths from 0 to 175 m. The analysis has been also carried out for the Newfoundland and Labrador Shelf, divided into about 40 areas, using monthly mean values from the available literature. At the surface, temperature (salinity) amplitudes are about 5°C (0.5–1.0) decreasing to −4 m² s⁻¹ and that horizontal currents of about 0.2 m s⁻¹ (0.1 m s⁻¹) are representative of the upper 50 m (50–100 m). Other processes such as the annual ice cycle and runoff from the land are identified as important.