Observations of an inshore front associated with the Chesapeake Bay outflow plume

Preliminary observations are reported of a recurring front located near Cape Henry, Virginia, USA. The front occurs on the right-hand side, looking seaward, of the buoyant plume discharging from the Chesapeake Bay and separates the plume from a band of relatively dense seawater confined against the Virginia coast. The front thus appears to be of a type similar to the inshore plume front reported by Sanders and Garvine for the Delaware Bay. Similar to an estuarine tidal intrusion front, the Cape Henry front evolves to a prominent V-shaped planform during flood tide and subduction of fluid along the front may provide a means for recirculation of near-surface material.