It seems significant that when scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic 

 Institute were consulted regarding certain aspects of our investigations, they 

 unanimously expressed considerable enthusiasm that such a feasibility study was 

 taking place. They stressed the long standing lack of adequate data of the scale 

 and measurement frequency that only a satellite can practically provide. 



1. 3 Brief Summary of Results of These Studies 



These studies have conclusively demonstrated that a satellite can measure 

 pertinent patterns and gradients of SST where cloud cover does not prevent the 

 radiometer from observing the ocean surface. When cases of repeated coverage 

 of a given area within a period of several days were analyzed, large scale 

 tenaperature patterns were found to have significant persistence. While smaller 

 scale features often changed somewhat from day to day, their patterns were 

 repeatedly similar to those observed in special programs which used conventional 

 measurements. 



The absolute temperatures were occasionally uniformly lower or higher from 

 day to day. These discrepencies could not always be completely accounted for in 

 terms of sensor degradation or changing air masses. An occasional conventional 

 temperature measurement is apparently required as a bench mark to properly 

 calibrate the IR measurements, at least until improved techniques for in-flight 

 sensor calibration, and improved knowledge of atmospheric attenuation, are 

 available. 



One of the primary deterrents to observations of sea surface temperatures 

 or temperature gradients is the presence of intervening cloud cover. When clouds 

 partially fill the field of the sensor, that data point must be identified and discarded. 

 Our studies have indicated that this problem can usually be solved by establishing a 

 cloud-no cloud threshold value for the Channel 5 (0. 5-0. 7 micron, visible reflected 

 radiation) albedo listing, and discarding points for which the Channel 5 value exceeds 

 this threshold. 



Significant difficulties were encountered in locating even single cases of open 

 mode IR data which simultaneously fulfilled the combined criteria of (1) mostly 

 clear skies, (2) distinct SST patterns or gradients, and (3) adequate conventional 

 ship coverage for comparison. The problems obviously multiplied when attempts 

 were made to find examples of recurrent coverage of a given area for purposes of 

 pattern persistence studies which could serve as one confirmation of the validity of 

 the observations, and particularly for observations of synoptic scale changes in 

 temperature patterns. 



