Aircraft Derived Low Level Winds and Upwelling Off the Peruvian Cost during March, April, and May 1977.
Abstract
The low-level mesoscale wind field over a major coastal upwelling region off the coast of Peru is investigated. The data were collected as part of the second intensive phase of the JOINT II oceanographic experiment conducted during March, April, and May 1977. The wind and sea surface temperature (SST) data were obtained via a research aircraft flying at 500 feet. Aircraft flights were conducted primarily between 0900 and 1430 LST. Surface data from ships, buoys, and land stations were more extensive in 1977 than in the previous year. The mesoscale data network was also increased. The mean structure of the 500 ft wind field during this experiment is presented primarily for comparison studies. The most important comparison is the alongshore (tangential) wind component with the SST's. The mean wind and SST fields from the first phase of JOINT II in 1976 are examined for parallels to the corresponding fields in 1977. Four flights on the strongest wind days are contrasted to four flights on the weakest wind days. A study during very light winds is presented to examine upwelling features in the absence of strong wind forcing. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1979
- Accession Number
- ADA090634
Entities
People
- Glenn Leroy Moody
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology