A Coastal Jet in the Chukchi Sea

Abstract

Data collected in the nearshore region between Point Lay and Ice Cape, Alaska, support the thesis that a well-developed coastal jet is present during the summer. The temporal variability of the current is as predicted by theory. The physical characteristics of the region suggest a strong signal-to-noise ratio for the baroclinic coastal jet. It is probably the dominant mode of summer coastal circulation for the entire Chukchi Sea coast of the Alaskan North Slope.