The Low-Level Jet off the West Coast of Subtropical South America: Structure and Variability

Abstract

Abstract The subtropical anticyclone over the southeast Pacific drives low-level southerly flow along the west coast of South America. In turn, the alongshore flow induces coastal upwelling that supports a wealth of fishery resources. Within this region, satellite data, marine reports, and coastal observations indicate the existence of a southerly coastal jet (i.e., a maximum of wind speed) off central Chile (26°–36°S). The mean features and variability of this southerly jet is documented in this work using 4 yr of satellite-derived sea surface winds, complemented by satellite-derived cloud amount fields and atmospheric reanalysis. Furthermore, analysis of in situ data and model results of a well-defined jet event during October 2000 allows a preliminary description of the jet’s three-dimensional structure and a comparison with the northerly jet off the coast of California. Southerly jet events off central Chile occur year-round, but they are more frequent during spring–summer (over 60% of the time). The jet is characterized by an elongated maximum of surface wind speed (∼10 m s−1) with its axis at about 150 km off the coast and a cross-shore scale of about 500 km. The two Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT) fields per day (a.m. and p.m. passes) allow a rough estimate of the amplitude of the diurnal cycle of the surface winds, which appears to be remarkably small in the region of the jet. The jet events are associated with the passage of a midlatitude ridge over the southeast Pacific strengthening the subtropical anticyclone. Upstream and over the jet region the coastal deck of stratocumulus clouds tends to dissipate in contrast to an increase in cloudiness downstream of the jet. In the case study the jet core resides at the top of the marine boundary layer (MBL)/inversion layer. Weak offshore flow prevails above the jet axis, and even weaker onshore flow prevails in the MBL. Consistent with its subtropical location the jet is embedded in a region of large-scale subsidence; nevertheless a mesoscale area of mean upward motion is simulated just downstream of the jet core.