Paper A 



SEA SURFACE CONDITIONS IN THE WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC IN 1976 



Julien R. GouLet* Jr. and Elizabeth D. Haynes' 



This summary essentially is Limited to the area off the U.S. east 

 coast from florida to Nova Scotia and about 1/000 km offshore. 

 The Gulf of Mexico is mentioned briefly also. 



In gen 

 than 

 a ver ag 

 i mmedi 

 dispel 

 c entur 

 summer 

 rate 

 i n Aug 

 At lent 

 Nova S 

 weathe 

 north 

 f\i ew f ou 

 t he U . 



er a I / 

 usual 

 e . 



at e ly 

 led b 



y . 



adva 

 than 

 ust t 

 ic R 

 cot i a 

 r Wo 



of 

 nd I an 

 S . ea 



the 

 th 

 In 



s 

 y wa 

 This 

 need 

 u sua 

 h e s 

 ight 



whe 

 s m 

 nor m 

 d u 



St c 



sea 

 roug 

 J anu 

 u r ro 

 rm a 

 w a 



the 

 L, s 

 ea s 



and 

 re w 

 i Id 

 al. 

 nti I 

 oast 



su rf ace o 

 h July/ th 

 aryr ther 

 undi no C 

 i r and mix 

 rmth cont 



sea surfa 

 o t hat the 

 urface was 



e sse nt i a L 

 arm anomal 



until lat 

 Very f e 



October. 



duri ng t h 



ff the ea 

 en tended 

 e was c 

 ape Hatt 

 ing durin 

 inued th 

 ce warmed 

 warm ano 

 cooler t 

 I y ave rag 

 i es pers i 

 e in the 

 M crosse 

 There we 

 e last qu 



s te rn 

 to b 

 oo ler 

 eras/ 

 g the 

 rough 

 seas 

 ma I ie 

 han n 

 e els 

 s t ed 

 year/ 

 d th 

 re se 

 a rt er 



sea 



e si 



th 



bu 



war 



th 



ona L 



s be 



o rma 



ewhe 



thro 



as 

 e 

 vera 



board 

 i ght ly 

 an no 

 t thi 

 mest F 

 e spr 

 I y/ bu 

 came s 

 I in 

 re ex c 

 ugh t h 

 storms 

 coast 

 I seve 



wa s 



cool 

 rma I 

 s wa 

 ebrua 

 ing. 

 t at 

 ma I le 



the 

 ept s 

 e yea 



t rac 



sou 



re st 



warmer 



er than 



water 



s soon 



ry i n a 



As the 

 a lower 

 r unt i I 



Middle 

 outh of 

 r . The 

 ked far 

 th of 

 orms up 



Except for fiaine and Florida/ the entire country was warmer than 

 normal during the winter of 1975-76 (December-February). Warm 

 conditions continued through spring/ although not quite so 

 markedly. Sjmmer uas cool almost everywhere except Maine/ which 

 remained warmer than usual. Autumn (September-November) was 



'This paper is summarized from gyiist ream/ Vol. Ii; the 

 Atlantic logs in !^a£iQe£s Weather Log/ Vols. 20 and 21/ the 

 we?ther and circulation articles in Monthly Weaih§£ EfiyiSSi' 

 Vols. 104 and 105; Gulf Stream analysis charts/ Environmental 

 Products Group/ NESS/ NOAA/ Washington/ DC 20033; temperature 

 anomaly charts/ Pacific Environmental Group/ NMFS/ NOAA/ 

 Konterey/ CA 93940 (see McLain/ Paper 9); airborne radiation 

 thermometer c-harts/ Coast Guard Ocea nog rap hi c Unit/ Washington/ 

 DC 20590 (see Deaver/ Paper 13). 



•^Resource Assessment Division/ National Marine Fisheries 

 Service/ NCAA/ Washington/ DC 20235. 



43 



