Modelled Summer Fjord Circulation in Bute Inlet, 2019

29-day averaged outputs from two ocean model simulations for Bute Inlet, British Columbia. The dataset provides transect-averaged variables including potential temperature, density, along-inlet velocity, and Brunt-Väisälä frequency. It was generated by Fisheries and Oceans Canada to support the 2024 study on fjord circulation.

Use Cases

• Compare potential temperature and density profiles from the Baseline and Sensitivity simulations to assess the impact of initial cold water mass removal.
• Analyze along-inlet velocity data to model tidal-filtered circulation patterns within the fjord.
• Calculate vertical stratification stability using the Brunt-Väisälä frequency (N^2) variable across the transect.
• Validate regional ocean models by benchmarking against these 29-day averaged outputs for the Discovery Islands region.

Strengths

• Data is derived from the Finite Volume Community Ocean Model (FVCOM v4.1), a standard tool in coastal oceanography.
• Averaging over 29 days from May 24 to June 27, 2019, properly removes tidal effects for clearer signal analysis.
• Provides a direct comparison between two distinct model initializations (Baseline and Sensitivity) for the same time period.

Limitations

• The dataset contains only 29-day averaged results, not the raw high-frequency model output.
• Spatial coverage is limited to a single transect along Bute Inlet within the Discovery Islands region.
• Temporal coverage is limited to a single month in 2019, restricting analysis of seasonal or interannual variability.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada, DFO Ocean Sciences Division, Pacific Region.

Collection Method

Output from the Finite Volume Community Ocean Model (FVCOM v4.1) simulations with two sets of initial conditions.

Time Range

May 24 to June 27, 2019.

Freshness

Model outputs are from a 2019 simulation, though the dataset was last updated in March 2026.

Geography

Bute Inlet, within the Discovery Islands region of British Columbia, Canada.