OCEANOGRAPHIC OBSERVATIONS, 1959 

 EAST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES 



ABSTRACT 



Daily water temperature and salinity observations for 1959 from seventeen 

 locations along the Atlantic seaboard are tabulated, plotted and discussed 

 for the fourth consecutive year. 



INTRODUCTION 



Through the cooperation of the U.S. Coast Guard, the Woods Hole 

 Oceanographic Institution established late in 19 55 a series of oceanographic 

 observation posts at a number of lightship stations along the east coast 

 of the United States. Additional data have been obtained from independent 

 observers, from the Narragansett Marine Laboratory and, courtesy of the 

 U. S. Air Force, from Texas Towers 2, 3 and 4. 



The lightship data have been forwarded on a monthly basis to Woods 

 Hole where they have been processed. The bathythermograms have been 

 read at several levels and tabulated; salinities were determined by salinometer. 

 The records of air temperature, weather, wind and clouds were used in studying 

 the other data, but are not presented here as they are the same as those 

 published in the daily weather maps of the U.S. Weather Bureau. 



In addition to tabulating these data, mean temperatures for each level for 

 three equal time periods per month have been determined and plotted as time- 

 depth profiles for the year at each station where bathythermographs were used. 

 The one-third monthly mean surface temperatures have been plotted in comparison 

 with the monthly mean surface temperature for the period of record of each station. 



The one-third monthly means of surface salinity have been appended to 

 the temperature profiles, together with the weekly bottom salinity values. 



The monthly mean surface water temperatures for the year 1959 for all 

 stations are listed in table 1 for comparison with previous records. 



We are particularly indebted to the U.S. Coast Guard personnel aboard 

 participating lightships, to Mr. Edward Green at Grand Harbour, Grand Manan 

 and to the personnel of the 12th Weather Squadron, U.S.A.F. at the three Texas 

 Towers reporting and at Otis Air Force Base. 



