On preconditioning of coastal upwelling in the eastern Great Australian Bight

Using a high-resolution hydrodynamic model, this work explores the formation of a subsurface pool of cold and nutrient-rich water on the continental shelf southwest of Kangaroo Island, South Australia. Findings reveal that localized upwelling in shelf break canyons south of Kangaroo Island play an important role in the pool's formation. Supported by observational evidence, this study suggests a direct link between canyon upwelling, pool formation, and the appearance of coastal upwelling centers in austral summer. The shelf and slope circulation establishing during this season creates a particularly deep canyon upwelling from an average depth of similar to 310 m, which is much deeper than previously suggested. Results indicate that model applications, not resolving the shelf break canyons, underestimate upwelling-related volume fluxes across the shelf break by a factor of 3.5 and nitrate fluxes by a factor of 5.