"Data from the Coastal Ocean Processes Inner Shelf Study are analyzed to determine atmospheric forcing characteristics and the heat balance of the inner shelf, and are used as motivation for a numerical study of inner shelf circulation during upwelling and downwelling. Variation in meteorological forcing on the North Carolina Inner shelf is dominated by synoptic weather systems. The structure of cold fronts and the local meteorological conditions they produce, result in a correlation between the surface heat flux and wind orientation. During weakly-stratified conditions the surface heat flux dominated variation in heat content. During stratified conditions, cross-shelf heat fluxes due to Ekman dynamics dominate variation in heat content of the inner shelf. The dominance of wind-driven cross-shelf transport motivated numerical studies of upwelling and downwelling. The feedback between mixing and stratification played a role in determining the strength of the circulation on the inner shelf. During upwelling, denser water is brought onto the lower half of the inner shelf, producing vertical stratification and enhancing the inner shelf circulation. During downwelling, circulation was weakened by the presence of stratification. These circulation patterns are discussed in the context of coastal observations, and the implications for cross-shelf transport and exchange processes are considered."--Stinet

This thesis examines the general task of active sensing by defining a measure of efficiency for sensing in a particular environment. We focus on fine-scale acoustic mapping from an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). The constraints on imaging underwater - vehicle power, vehicle hydrodynamics, computational and telemetry requirements, and typical navigational and attitudinal uncertainties along with the underlying physics of the acoustic sensing modality- are considered in defining an entropic measure of sensor efficiency. 675-kHz pencil-beam sonar data acquired using the JASON remotely operated vehicle in a challenging shallow water environment and 200-kHz echo-sounder data acquired using the ABE A UV are used to demonstrate the utility of the en tropic framework. We show the utility of an entropic framework for the following: (i) Optimizing the speed of the AUV for maximizing the information gathered with a particular sensor. (ii) the rate of convergence and the stability of our mapping efforts in the face of typical uncertainties in navigation and attitude; (iii) as a methodology for actual sensor deployment and use on a real vehicle; and (iv) in tasks such as post-mission analysis for applications such as change detection and path planning for subsequent missions.

An authoritative graduate textbook and professional reference on the physical dynamics of the coastal ocean This book provides an up-to-date, systematic treatment of the processes governing the velocity, pressure, temperature, and salinity of the coastal ocean. Written by a leading expert with decades of experience with theory, observations, and numerical models, it builds on the idea that knowledge of fundamental phenomena allows for an understanding of continental shelf waters globally. Featuring a wealth of ocean observations from a wide variety of locales, Physical Oceanography of Continental Shelves is an essential resource for both students and researchers on this critical region of the world’s oceans. Covers the physical dynamics and properties of the coastal ocean, synthesizing theory and global observations Topics include turbulent boundary layers, wind driving, coastal-trapped waves, the inner shelf, tides, buoyancy currents, instabilities, and connections with the deep open ocean Ideal for graduate students in physical oceanography Includes exercises to strengthen understanding and draws on the author’s experience teaching the subject A must for oceanographers and engineers seeking a comprehensive synthesis of continental shelf processes