Space-derived parameters of coastal upwelling in the SE Baltic Sea

Abstract

In this work we present a basic statistics of coastal upwelling parameters inferred from satellite infrared (IR) Terra/Aqua MODIS sea surface temperature (SST) maps acquired over the South-Eastern (SE) Baltic Sea between 2000 and 2013. The maximum observed SST gradients across the front were up to 1.6 °C/km, temperature drop up to 14°C with total upwelling-affected area up to 16000 km2. The observed horizontal scale of the upwelling is about 100–400 km along the coast, and 10–20 km (max 70–80 km) cross-shore. The duration of the upwelling in this part of the sea is from several days up to several weeks. It is also shown that intensive coastal upwelling in the SE Baltic may lead up to the 40-km long intrusion of relatively cold and saline sea water into the Curonian Lagoon forming very pronounced property gradients there and affecting nearly a half of the Lithuanian part of the lagoon.