USE OF RADIATION THERMOMETER DATA IN SYNOPTIC OCEANOGRAPHIC 

 ANALYSIS AND LAYER DEPTH ESTIMATION 



Synoptic sea surface temperature charts based largely on injection temperature re- 

 ports from commercial ships and surface temperature readings from bathythermograph ob- 

 servations taken by Fleet, Coast Guard, and research ships are prepared regularly at the 

 Naval Oceanographic Office for dissemination to Fleet units. 



Although more than 450 daily ship reports of sea surface temperature and 60 bathy- 

 thermograph observations are available for preparation of regional analyses, data are sel- 

 dom sufficient to permit realistic portrayals of temperature patterns. (The technique of sea 

 surface temperature analysis is presented in detail in the U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office 

 Technical Report 70, "Sea Surface Temperature Analysis." by Blair Gibson.) Therefore, data 

 are grouped into 5 -day periods and analyzed on an overlapping basis three times each week. 

 Figure 13 shows the typical ratio between daily and 5-day collections of surface reports. 

 Empirical relationships between the sea surface temperature field and the subsurface tem- 

 perature structure can be used in many cases for estimating layer depths. 



Since density of surface temperature reports is a major problem in many areas, ART 

 measurements along tracks tailored to the specific requirements of regional analysis are of 

 considerable value. Although aerial survey provides collection of data along tracks up to 



I 



Se* SURrtcC TCWPCRtTURE oeSERVATIONS 

 r JUNE 196] 



SEA SURFACE lEMPERATUfiE OBSERVAriONS 

 ANALYSIS 7- II JUNE 1963 



DISTRIBUTION OF SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE 

 OBSERVATIONS AND SUBJECTIVE ANALYSIS 



Figure 13. Example showing the ratio between daily and 

 five-day collecting of surface reports 



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