Environmental Forecasting Program 



Long-range and accurate environmental forecasting de- 

 pends on understanding the processes and mechanisms at work 

 in the oceans as well as in the atmosphere. The Environmental 

 Forecasting Program focuses on projects designed to explain 

 the coupling between sea and air, and the influence of the 

 oceans on weather and climate: the Midocean Dynamics Ex- 

 periment (MODE); the North Pacific Experiment (NOR- 

 PAX); the Climate — Long-Range Investigation, Mapping, and 

 Prediction (CLIMAP) programs. The program also funds 

 several NOAA projects. 



Midocean Dynamics Experiment (iVIODE) 



The purpose of MODE is to establish the dynamics and 

 statistics of mesoscale motions, their energy source, and their 

 role in the general circulation. MODE consists of a continuing 

 theoretical effort as well as field experiments — MODE-O, 

 MODE-I, and (Possibly) MODE-II. The site chosen for the 

 field experiments is a small area 400 kilometers in diameter 

 and 5 kilometers dep near the Tropic of Cancer, south of 



Bermuda. The program is jointly supported by IDOE and the 

 Office of Naval Research. 



MODE began in July, 1971. The first year and a half was 

 spent making pilot experiments in the MODE area and de- 

 veloping theoretical models and objective analysis schemes. 

 During the MODE-O field experiments, the preliminary phase 

 of MODE-I prior to the main field program, three major 

 current meter arrays were set: (1) With close horizontal spac- 

 ing over a smooth and relatively flat bottom, (2) with close 

 horizontal spacing over the rough abyssal hills, and (3) with 

 larger spacing predominately over the smooth area. The results 

 from these arrays shaped the design of the MODE-I array 

 primarily by showing the horizontal eddy-scale to be larger 

 than had been anticipated. In MODE-I, scientists from a num- 

 ber of different universities and institutions have begun a study 

 of the oceanic eddies that combines theoretical/numerical mo- 

 delling and field experimentation. The major field experiment, 

 of over 4 months' duration, began in March 1973. The experi- 

 mental site, centered at 28°N 69°40'W was chosen because it 

 is typical of the open ocean, remote from boundaries and 

 features, and logistically feasible (i.e., for SOFAR float track- 

 ing and ships' port steaming time). 



The program is composed of a number of directly funded 

 independent projects, the scientific responsibility for which re- 

 sides in the individual principal investigators. A list of projects, 

 investigators, and organizations is given in table 4. 



W.H.O.l. 



WOODS HOLE, 



MASS. 



TO 

 PUBLIC 

 SYSTEM 



N.Y., 

 N.Y. 



RCA 



GLOBAL 



COMM. 



N.Y., N.Y. 



I 



UNDERSEA CABLE 

 TO 

 PUBLIC 

 SYSTEM 



ft 



VRT 

 RADIO 



NOVA 

 RADIO 



C & W 

 PHONE 



MODE 



NETWORK 



PHONE 



BERMUDA 



PHONE NO. 



7-0055 



HOTLINE CENTER 

 BERMUDA 



MODE 

 RADIO 



Figure 17. — MODE-I Communications Network 



17 



