Monthly Mean Sea Surface Temperature Research Articles

The North Pacific Study

Preparations are underway to investigate the nature of large-scale fluctuations of sea-surface temperatures using a buoy array extending 2000 miles across the North Pacific. These fluctuations appear to be of common occurrence and interrelated with anomalous weather conditions and changes in the distribution of rainfall, marine productivity, and marine organisms. Although monthly mean sea-surf ace temperatures are available from ships' data, very little is known of the associated events below the sea surface, or what oceanographic and meteorological processes are involved in the onset, development, and decay of the anomalies. A pilot study of the sea-surface temperature data is providing some hints of the nature of the events. The buoys to be used have been under development at Scripps for many years. They are simple taut-moored catamaran buoys recording meteorological parameters and water temperatures to 500 meters, Qne O? two Convair Monster buoys will be used, as well as a few Seripps current-meter buoys, Present Scripps' buoys have survived winds in excess of 95 knots while moored in water over 3QOQ fathoms in depth, and have yielded the first very long continuous records of temperatures in the open sea.