Conditional Sampling of Oceanic Temperature and Pressure.
Abstract
In the ocean, as in the atmosphere, energy transfer processes exhibit a distinct intermittency. Important energy transfer events occur rarely in space and time but their contribution is likely to be greater than those from all others combined. For example, the most severe storms during a particular year are likely to be associated with a larger momentum and heat flux between the atmosphere and the ocean than the winds during the rest of the year. The breaking of an internal wave can lead to a greater vertical mixing of heat and salt than other diffusion processes. The presence of intermittency places severe demands on geophysical data acquisition. Routine sampling at fixed rates provide redundant data nearly all of the time and inadequate data during the rare times of an interesting event. A fixed program of intermittent rapid sampling superimposed on a standard low sampling rate (commonly referred to as burst sampling) is an improvement, but is not entirely satisfactory either. What is needed is a high rate of sampling conditioned by the occurrence of the rare important events or what will be referred here as conditional sampling.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 29, 1981
- Accession Number
- ADA104539
Entities
People
- James D. Irish
- Mark P. Woodbury
- Wendell S. Brown
Organizations
- University of New Hampshire