THE RESPONSES OF THE OCEAN TO THE ACTION OF ATMOSPHERIC 

 FORCES AND ACCOUNTING OF THESE RESPONSES IN U. S. FLEET 

 NUMERICAL WEATHER FACILITY'S OCEANOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS AND 



FORECASTING PROGRAMS 



by 



Commander W.E. Hubert, USN, Commander R. C. Slusser, USN 



and T. Laevastu 

 U.S. Navy Fleet Numerical Weather Facility, Monterey, Calif. 



ABSTRACT 



Traditional studies have considered the ocean in general to be quite 

 conservative in contrast to the atmosphere. Assuming that the ocean is 

 sluggish and slow to react to atmospheric driving forces, oceanographic 

 analysis and prediction should be closely associated with climatological 

 data and should utilize large-scale interaction models . However, since 

 a number of studies indicate rapid and pronounced changes in the ocean 

 that are linked to action in the atmosphere, oceanographic analysis and 

 forecasting should be based on synoptic meteorological analysis and fore- 

 casting and on quantitative knowledge of the interactions between the 

 ocean and atmosphere. 



Operational oceanographic programs at FNWF are in consonance with 

 energy exchange theory and utilize inputs from atmospheric analyses and 

 forecasts . This permits reconstruction of oceanographic parameters that 

 show excellent agreement with observed values even where large changes 

 are taking place . 



In order to present a cohesive picture of the forces involved, a 

 general description is presented of the FNWF scheme of oceanographic 

 analyses and predictions. Examples are given of the following analyses 

 and/or forecasts: sea surface tem-perature and its large- and small-scale 

 pattern separation (anomalies), sea and swell, surface currents, mixed 

 layer depth and subsurface thermal structure. A summary is given of the 

 principles on which these analyses and forecasts are based. The small- 

 scale extraction and analysis/forecast is briefly demonstrated, with an 

 example „ 



It is concluded that the relatively large changes that occur over 

 short periods in the surface layers are closely related to atmospheric 

 forces . As a result, the oceanographic analysis and forecasting periods 

 must be relatively short (comparable to meteorological practice), and 

 oceanographic analyses and forecasts should be carried out in an in- 

 tegrated meteorological/oceanographic scheme as used at FNWF. 



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