current measurements in the open ocean are too few and drift 

 calculations made from navigational fixes are frequently inaccu- 

 rate in weak current areas, so it is difficult to make a direct 

 evaluation. It has been necessary, therefore, to resort to indirect 

 means which are susceptible to verification on a synoptic basis. 



Sea surface temperature (SST) is the only oceanographic element 

 which permits a reasonable complete synoptic analysis on a hemi- 

 spheric scale. Such analyses are made twice daily at FNVvF 

 Monterey (Vvolff 1964), and their resolution is such that SST temper- 

 ature changes can be determined for periods of 24, 48 hours, etc. 

 From these changes will be subtracted the local changes computed 

 from air/sea heat exchange equations . If the remainder correlates 



well with the advective change indicated by w ^ • V SST / the 



xyzt 



computed currents can be assumed to be reasonably correct. 



This method of verification is nov»r being programmed and 

 numerical results are not yet available. Subjective study of 

 SST change charts and corresponding current charts does, however, 

 indicate that the approach described here is useful. It is evident 

 that the wind component term predominates in many areas, and 

 that it is this term which is mainly responsible for the rapid 

 response of sea surface temperature changes in the ocean. 



There are a number of modifications which must undoubtedly 

 be made to this program; it is hoped these will be uncovered 

 during the verification period . One obvious question is - what 



10 



