A Dip in the Pool: Analyzing the Stability Strength of the Mid-Atlantic Cold Pool

As of March 2023, the U.S. Department of Energy announced the nationwide renewable energy goal of 30 gigawatts (GW) of renewable offshore wind energy by 2030 and setting the standard of 110 GW by 2050. The location of these offshore wind energy areas (WEAs) span along the Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB) and overlap with the seasonally occurring Cold Pool. The Mid-Atlantic Cold Pool is an economically and environmentally important feature of the northeastern seaboard that supports benthic fauna and commercial fisheries. Monitoring and understanding the stratification strength of the Cold Pool in specified areas along the coast is critical for determining possible future implications caused by offshore wind farm construction. Remote satellite images of existing European wind farms have shown turbulent wakes generated by turbine monopiles in tidal flows, yet the effects of these wakes on Mid-Atlantic stratification are still unclear. In this paper, in situ observational data from Slocum gliders provide high-resolution observations of the seasonally occurring thermocline and pycnocline off the southern coast of New Jersey along a commonly sampled transect known as the Rutgers University Glider Endurance Line. Calculations of water column stability using buoyancy frequency are conducted for the summer months of each year between 2016 and 2021 when the Cold Pool is at its peak to evaluate the strength of stratification. Results indicate nearshore regions are more stable than offshore regions based on higher buoyancy frequency values and a higher density gradient.