The Coastal Transition Zone program

TLDR

Filaments are cold surface features that originate near the shelf and extend as narrow tongues up to 100 km wide, reaching hundreds of kilometers offshore, and they were the main focus of the 1987–1988 Coastal Transition Zone program off northern California. The study sought to examine the historical background and motivating questions of the Coastal Transition Zone program. The program employed a general observational and analytical approach to investigate filaments and their relationship with eastern boundary current dynamics. Initial findings summarized the current understanding of filaments and their connection to eastern boundary current dynamics.

Abstract

Filaments are cold surface features often found in eastern boundary current regions. A typical filament originates near the shelf and extends as a narrow (100 km or less) tongue extending hundreds of kilometers offshore. These features represent the main focus of the the Coastal Transition Zone program, which took place in 1987 and 1988 off the northern coast of California. The historical background for the program is discussed, as well as the questions that motivated it. The general approach of the program is described, followed by an overview of the initial findings, representing a summary of our current understanding of these features and their relation with eastern boundary current dynamics.