Effects Of Atmospheric Pressure And Wind Stress On Daily Mean Sea Level In The Bay Of Biscay. Analysis Of Continental Shelf Waves

The barometric factor is estimated at five stations in the Bay of Biscay from the linear regression between daily mean sea level and atmospheric pressure. The results show that the adjusted sea level change is important in amplitude in spite of the barometric response of the sea level to the atmospheric pressure. The cross-correlations between adjusted sea levels and the two components of wind stress suggest that the adjusted sea level is highly related to the longshore wind stress. The observed phase and the time lag between adjusted sea levels at adjacent stations aree consistent with the hypothesis of the northward travelling continental shelf waves.