Scotian Shelf Upwelling Indices from 1993 to 2022

30 years of daily and seasonal upwelling indices for the Scotian Shelf, derived from GLORYS12 ocean model and ERA5 wind data. The dataset provides estimates of upwelling area, intensity, duration, and seasonal timing from 1993 to 2022. It was produced by Fisheries and Oceans Canada to study interannual variability in coastal upwelling.

Use Cases

• Analyze interannual variability of upwelling area and intensity on the Scotian Shelf over the 30-year period.
• Model the relationship between ERA5 surface winds and the calculated temperature anomaly of upwelled water.
• Identify trends in the yearly start and end dates of the cold-water upwelling season from March to November.
• Compare seasonal (Spring, Summer, Fall) patterns in total upwelling duration and cumulative area.
• Validate sea surface temperature data from the GLORYS12 model using the referenced in-situ buoy and satellite observations.

Strengths

• 30-year temporal coverage from 1993 to 2022 provides a long-term climate perspective.
• Data integrates two authoritative sources: the GLORYS12v1 ocean reanalysis and the ERA5 atmospheric reanalysis.
• Includes validation of sea surface temperature against in-situ buoy and satellite-derived observations.
• Provides multiple temporal aggregations: daily estimates, seasonal breakdowns, and yearly summaries.

Limitations

• Spatial coverage is limited to the Scotian Shelf area of interest along the Nova Scotia coastline.
• Sample data and specific data structure (e.g., row/column count) are unavailable for review.
• The core data are model-derived reanalysis products, not direct in-situ measurements.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Ecosystems and Oceans Science, Maritimes region.

Collection Method

Calculated from the GLORYS12v1 ocean reanalysis (Copernicus Marine Service) and ERA5 surface winds (ECMWF).

Time Range

1993 to 2022 (inclusive).

Freshness

Data covers through 2022; metadata was last updated in March 2026.

Geography

Scotian Shelf, specifically the area of interest along the Nova Scotia coastline.