North Pacific Experiment (NORPAX) 



The long-term objective of NORPAX is to understand 

 fluctuations in the upper layers of the North Pacific Ocean with 

 time scales of months to years and space scale in excess of 

 1,000 kilometers, and the relation of these fluctuations to the 

 overlying and adjoining atmosphere. Achievement of this goal 

 should lead to improved prediction of weather and climate for 

 the northeast Pacific Ocean and North America. NORPAX is 

 jointly sponsored by IDOE and the Office of Naval Research. 

 Principal investigators and projects are listed in table 6. 

 Immediate objectives of NORPAX are to: 



1 ) Describe the configuration and evolution of observed sea 

 surface thermal anomalies. 



2) Determine the locations and magnitudes of heat fluxes 

 across the sea surface and how they vary with time. 



3) Obtain a quantitative explanation for the evolution of the 

 mixed layer. 



4) Determine to what extent fluctuations in momentum flux 

 from the atmosphere affect advection of oceanic heat storage 

 and ocean/atmosphere heat flux. 



5 ) Determine optimum methods for quantitative monitoring of 

 fluxes between the ocean and atmosphere system. 



During the past year, analysis of data from POLE — the 

 first process-oriented field study project conducted north of 



Hawaii (35°N, 155°W) during January and February 1974 — 

 was continued. 

 El Nino Watch 



Systematic scientific observations have never been made during 

 an El Niiio in waters ofi" Peru. Predictive indices based on the 

 Southern Oscillation (a zonal atmospheric cell linking the east- 

 ern and western equatorial Pacific) have a lead time of approxi- 

 mately 6 to 12 months. Indications in early 1975 were that 

 another El Nifio might occur. This led to the NORPAX expe- 

 dition "El Nifio Watch" — two cruises of about 5 weeks dura- 

 tion (February to April 1975) between latitudes 2"N and 15"S 

 and from the west coast of South America to longitude 97°W 

 (fig. 6). Observations of meteorological and oceanographic 

 parameters, including nutrients, were made to determine the 

 source of El Niiio water. 



The accompanying summaries identify NORPAX data sub- 

 mitted to NOAA Environmental Data Service's National Ocean- 

 ographic Data Center. 



NODC Accession No.: 75-0530 



Organization: Scripps Institution of Oceanography 



Investigator: R. T. Wert, NORPAX Data Manager 



NORPAX data: One magnetic tape containing observa- 

 tions from 23 bumble bee buoys (at 1-hour intervals). Param- 

 eters are: 



1) air temperature 



2) wind speed and direction 



3) wind transport 



4) barometric pressure 



5) sea temperature at a maximum of 12 depths 



6) pressures at two depths 



7) solar radiation 



8) mooring line tension 



Data were collected from 6 buoys during May 1964 to Feb- 

 ruary 1967 and from 17 buoys during February 1968 to Feb- 

 ruary 1973. 



Table 6. — U.S. -funded institutions, investigators, and projects in NORPAX program 



Organization 



Investigator 



Project title 



University of Alaska 



University of British Columbia 



University of California 

 Los Angeles 



University of California 



Scripps institution of Oceanography 



T. C. Royer 



M. Miyake 

 J. Bjerknes 



T. P. Barnett 

 R. L. Bernstein 



R. L. Bernstein 

 W. B. White 



R. E. Davis 



R. E. Davis 

 R. A. Knox 



M. C. Hendershott 



Large-Scaie Air-Sea Interaction in the Gulf of 

 Alaska and Bering Sea 



Air-Sea Interaction Study With Aircraft 



Large-Scale Ocean-Atmosphere Interaction 



Temperature Velocity Structure Study 



Objective Analysis of Ship's Injection 

 Temperatures 



Space/Time Variability of Subsurface Thermal 

 Structure and Fluxes of Heat and Momentum 



Radio Beacon Drift Buoys 



Analysis of POLE Data 



A Model Study of Large-Scale Ocean-Atmospheric 

 Interaction 



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