70 



THE NAVY OCEAN SCIENCE PROGRAM 



40" 



OJ FMAMJJASONDJ 



I I I I I I I I I I I I I I H 



fcSoo'r 



38»N,73»W = 



DJ FMAMJJASONDJ 

 t- I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 



300- 



39' N, 143' E - 



Annual temperature cycles in the upper surface layers of the 

 North Atlantic (left) and North Pacific (right) 



Temperatures at selected depths are presented on a month-by- 

 month basis on a closely spaced grid over the entire extent of 

 each ocean. The data are subjected to two-dimensional space 

 interpolation, space smoothing, and time smoothing by Fourier 

 approximation. The results of this work have been used exten- 

 sively in the development of operational Navy environmental 

 prediction systems. 



WAVE FORECASTING 



The Navy presently provides its forces with wave forecasts on a 

 daily basis and minimum time tracks for transits of the North 

 Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans by Navy ships. The ability to 

 provide these forecasts is largely the result of a long-term 

 research effort aimed at better understanding wind-generated 

 waves from their generation stage to final decay. 



Several theories of wave generation by the wind have been 

 proposed, and wave-growth models based upon them as well as 

 empirical data have been developed. Models of the spectra of 

 waves also have been made and continually improved to provide 

 the means for statistically describing the sea surface. The 

 measurement of waves from ships and towers has provided the 

 data for developing such spectra. The aircraft, with its recently 



