THE STRUCTURE OF SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES IN MONSOONAL AREAS.
Abstract
Time-dependent fluctuations of structure sizes of sea surface temperatures in the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean were determined by using three different methods of analysis: (a) graphical integration of isothermal structures, (b) computation of the structure function of temperature distributed along zonal bands across both oceans and (c) computation of energy spectra for temperatures distributed along these bands. Table 1 summarizes the main results of the investigation. Mean values of 156, 420, and 1190 km characterize structure sizes occurring most frequently in the Indian Ocean. The structure size of 420 km compares well with other independent observations: The dynamic topographies of the surface in the Arabian Sea exhibit cellular structures of similar dimensions. Satellite observations of sea surface temperatures off the Somali coast reveal isothermal structures with a diameter of approximately 450 km. Structures in the Atlantic Ocean possess mean values of 133, 370, and 1190 km, hence, do not deviate much from those in the Indian Ocean. The results for both oceanic areas not only display a high degree of similarity in structure sizes, but also indicate that large peaks in the energy spectra occur only during winter time. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1970
- Accession Number
- AD0706081
Entities
People
- Walter Dueing