Both ships of opportunity (ships in the area for other purposes but available to 

 gather data) and island stations are used to monitor atmospheric and 

 oceanographic conditions in the north Pacific as part of the joint National 

 Science Foundation-Office of Naval Research NORPAX project. 



variations in incoming solar radiation. The results of this work 

 include the finding that the effects of clouds which reduce incoming 

 radiation are noticed in the upper layers of the ocean within 1 or 2 

 hours and that cooler nighttime temperatures cause convective 

 overturning in the mixed layer. 



Related studies of solar radiation at tropical island stations 

 suggest that the amount of solar radiation heating the world's 

 tropical oceans is 15 to 20 percent greater than previously indicated 

 from climatological estimates. This implies that the magnitude of 

 poleward heat transport by ocean circulation is much greater than 

 previously believed and, consequently, has important implications 

 for long-range weather forecasting In addition, NOAA's 

 Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory is studying how ocean and 

 the atmosphere are coupled to one another and over what temperal 

 scales. Several models have been developed ranging from global 

 ocean atmospheric models to mathematical composites that simulate 

 processes at regional scales of motion. 



From June 15 to September 30, 1974, one-third of the earth's 

 tropical belt will be under intensive observation in the largest and 

 most complex international scientific experiment ever undertaken. 



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