Structure of the Upper Ocean Velocity Field on Scales Larger than 10 Kilometers,
Abstract
Upper ocean currents, illustrated here by shipboard ADCP data, are a complex function of both space and time. Vertical shear is strong near the equator and decreases toward the poles. Particularly strong currents are found near the equator, in the southern ocean, and on western boundaries. High variability sometimes, but not always, coincides with strong mean currents. Inertial oscillations are ubiquitous and can dominate a dataset. Their spatial structure has not been well observed. An exploratory attempt to calculate horizontal wavenumber spectra from vertically averaged shipboard ADCP measurements show potentially interesting differences between two sections, one at 35 deg N, the other near 18 deg N.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1993
- Accession Number
- ADP008729
Entities
People
- Eric Firing
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School