On the Predictability of Subsurface Sound Speed From Satellite-Measured Sea-Surface Temperature in the Mediterranean

Abstract

The report investigates the extent to which subsurface sound speed maybe determined from satellite-measured sea-surface temperature (SST). Using CTD data from four hydrographic surveys in the Mediterranean, it is shown that the vertical sound-speed profiles can be decomposed into Empirical Orthogonal Eigenfunctions (EOF), with the first three functions accounting for at least 88% of the variance. Significant correlation between EOF amplitudes and SST has been found for only one of the three EOFs, either the 1st EOF or the 2nd EOF. In order to determine subsurface sound-speed from SST, this EOF has to represent important features of the sound-speed variability. This is the case for only one of the four surveys. Failures for the other surveys are due to a combination of low spatial variability of SST, not visible in the satellite-retrieved values, and complex vertical sound-speed profiles, which may not be represented by one EOF only.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1996
Accession Number
AD1114924

Entities

People

  • H. H. Essen

Organizations

  • SACLANT ASW Research Centre

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accuracy
  • Agreements
  • Air Temperature
  • Alliances
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Data Analysis
  • Data Sets
  • Governments
  • High Resolution
  • Measurement
  • Meteorological Data
  • Nato
  • Oceans
  • Regression Analysis
  • Remote Sensing
  • Sea Surface Temperature
  • Seabed
  • Surface Temperature
  • Surveys
  • Water Masses

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Atmospheric Remote Sensing.
  • Oceanography.
  • Wave Propagation and Nonlinear Chaotic Dynamics.

Technology Areas

  • Space