Paper 7 



DISTRIBUTION OF VARIABLES DURING 1976 



The time-space distributions of salinity/^ t emperatu re/^ and heat 

 storage (0-100 m) are shown in Figures 7 .2 r 7.3r and 7.4^ respec- 

 tively. The irregularly Located observations were first analyzed 

 by the NORPAX/ SUR FACE II computer program to a time-space grid of 

 24 intervals ^qt year by 92.6 km (50 n mi). The distributions 

 were then camputer contoured from the UDSIDQQthed grid fields 

 using double Linear interpolation with five subintervals within 

 each standard grid interval. 



The surface salinities (Fig. 7.2) showed the underlying mean 

 pattern (Saur 1978) of a low salinity minimum (below 33.0 o/oo) a 

 short distance offshore in the California Current; a region 

 where salinity increased toward Hawaii and had maximum gradients 

 located between 2/OOC km and 3/>000 km along the route from 

 Hawaii; a region of maximum salinites (above 35.0 o/oo) located 

 between 500 km and 1 /■750 km from Hawaii; and somewhat lower 

 salinities (below 35.0 o/oo) most of the year near Hawaii. The 

 high salinities occurred where the vessel track crossed the 

 eastern end of the high salinity Eastern North Pacific Central 

 Waters^ located between 25N and 30N (Sverdrup et al. 1942). 



The annual cycle of temperature is much more prominent than the 

 annual cycle of salinity. Minimum and maximum values and total 

 range for each gridded field are shown in Table 7.1. The 

 greatest range of salinty at a given position was about 0.5 o/oo 

 or only 15% of the total observed range. On the other hand/ near 

 the California coast the temperature range was 6.0C/ and near 

 S/COO km along the route (in the Transition Zone) the annual 

 range was 5.1C/ which were 39% and 32%/ respectively/ of the 

 total observed range. 



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