Oceanography

Qualitatively describe all the patterns you observe in each variable.
Temperature: Days 1-~100 seem to have stayed relatively stable. Whereas days ~100-~210 had consistent increases in temperature. Thereafter, the temperature steadily drops all the way through to the end of the charted days.
Salinity: This seems to be the most consistent of the four graphs. Although there are some fairly significant dips, especially between days ~25-~75, the salinity always seems to bounce back to somewhere around its original content.
Dissolved Oxygen: This graph is interesting. There’s a slow but steady increase from days 1-~100 and then it drops pretty steeply through day ~150, goes up a bit, drops steeply again, and then about the 175 day mark it starts getting erratic. There is an overall increase from ~day 275-the end of the graph.
Nitrate: Interestingly enough, I find this graph fairly inversely proportionate to the salinity graph.
Hypothesize what may be causing and (or) contributing to the following observed changes and (or) patterns and support your hypothesis using what you have learned about atmospheric-oceanic interactions and seawater properties in the course learning materials:
The steady increase in Temperature from ~Day 100 to ~Day 200: I would think this increase in temperature would be mostly due to the warming Gulf Stream making its way past Nova Scotia.
The large decreases in Salinity between Days 0 to 100: I think this is largely due to ice melt.
The higher levels of Nitrate between Day 0 and ~Day 100: Hmm…because it’s old water that is nutrient rich just coming up from the Pacific being carried on the conveyor belt…?
Describe the observed relationship between Temperature and dissolved Oxygen from ~Day 100 to the end of the series. Is this relationship what you would expect to see? Why or why not? My observation is that they are relatively inversely proportionate to each other. This is what I would expect given that nutrient dense water is generally cold and vice versa.
Based on these data from within the Northwest Arm, are there seasonal patterns in the physical and chemical properties of the coastal ocean? Support your answer through references to the observed data. Yes, the seasonal patterns show in these graphs. They are marked by the graph days which correspond to the area’s seasons. Nova Scotia is in the Northern Hemisphere; therefore Jan 1/Day 1 is in winter, day 180 (about halfway through the year) would be around the beginning of summer, etc. This graph clearly shows what we would expect to see for each season.
Briefly explain the process of coastal upwelling. Do you believe this phenomenon may be occurring here? Why or why not? Coastal upwelling is when wind pushes surface water offshore and the deeper cold waters are pulled up to replace the missing water. This is likely happening in these graphs beings that the temperatures are low when the nutrients are high