AIRBORNE RADIATION THERMOMETER MEASUREMENTS FROM 

 CAPE COD, MASSACHUSETTS TO MIAMI, FLORIDA 



JULY 1970— June 1976 



By 



J.W. Deaver 

 J.C. Reed 



INTRODUCTION 



Since July 1969, the U.S. Coast Guard 

 Oceanographic Unit has been conducting monthly 

 Airborne Radiation Thermometer (ART) surveys 

 of the United States Atlantic Ocean coastal waters 

 between Miami, Florida and Cape Cod, 

 Massachusetts. The primary purpose of these over 

 flights was to measure sea surface temperature 

 (SST) distributions and observe visual current 

 boundaries connected with the Gulf Stream for use 

 in Search and Rescue (SAR) planning. This infor- 

 mation along with marine animal sightings and 

 pollution incidents were published monthly under 

 the title of "Surface Isotherm Charts" by the Coast 

 Guard Oceanographic Unit. 



This report covers the period July 1970 to June 

 1976. The data were collected using operating pro- 

 cedures previously published (Deaver, 1975). Over 

 564,400 km of transects covering approximately 

 1.08 X 10' km2 of Atlantic Shelf and Slope Water 

 and Gulf Stream were covered during the 7 years 

 (Fig. 1). 



From October 1974 to May 1975, no data were 

 collected south of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina 

 due to aircraft non-availability. 



Surveys were normally scheduled for the middle 

 of each month, however, surveys were sometimes 

 delayed for periods of up to two weeks due to opera- 

 tional difficulties. 



METHODS AND EQUIPMENT 



A Barnes Engineering Company, Precision 

 Radiation Thermometer (PRT-5) was used to 



measure the SST during ART surveys. The PRT-5 

 has been modified to view through the 9.5 to 11. 5u 

 wavelength window which was the most desirable 

 filter available for SST measurements (Weiss, 

 1971). The PRT-5 signal was recorded on a con- 

 tinuous analog strip chart. The strip chart recorder 

 was calibrated by measuring the known 

 temperature of a hot and cold water bath prior to 

 and at the completion of a flight. 



An extensive review of the methods and equip- 

 ment used was presented previously in Deaver, 

 (1975). 



SURFACE TRUTH ADJUSTMENT 



All ART surveys were flown at or below 150 

 meters to avoid adverse atmospheric attenuation 

 (Henderson, 1976). Data collected during periods of 

 rain, snow, fog or heavy haze were discarded. 



Accuracy of the ART data using selective sampl- 

 ing methods mentioned above is within ± 0.6''C. 



SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE CHARTS 



Monthly sea surface temperature charts for 

 Atlantic Ocean coastal water from Cape Cod to 

 Miami are presented in 72 charts (Figs. 2—73). 



Contour charts were constructed utilizing 

 temperature measurements along survey transects. 

 Contour shapes between transect crossings were 

 based on subjective interpretation and additional 

 data from satellite and shipboard observations. 



