PART VI: WATER CHARACTERISTICS 



52. Monthly averages of daily measurements of surface water tempera- 

 ture, visibility, and density at the seaward end of the FRF pier are given in 

 Table 8. The summaries represent single observations made near 0700 EST and, 

 therefore, may not reflect daily average conditions since such characteris- 

 tics can change within a 24-hr period. Large temperature variations were com- 

 mon when there were large differences between the air and water temperatures 

 and variations in wind direction. From past experience, persistent onshore 

 winds move warmer surface water toward the shoreline, although offshore winds 

 cause colder bottom water to circulate shoreward resulting in lower tempera- 

 tures . 



Table 8 

 Mean Surface Water Characteristics 



















Temperature 



Visi 



bility 



Densit: 

 R/cra 3 



f 





de 



R C 





m 









1980- 





1980- 





1980- 



Month 



1989 



1989 



1989 



1989 



1989 



1989 



Jan 



7.5 



5.8 



1.9 



1.2 



1.0250 



1.0236 



Feb 



7.3 



4.9 



2.1 



1.7 



1.0248 



1.0232 



Mar 



6.4 



6.5 



1.2 



1.5 



1.0235 



1.0230 



Apr 



11.2 



10.9 



1.9 



1.9 



1.0234 



1.0227 



May 



15.5 



15.2 



2.9 



2.4 



1.0220 



1.0222 



Jun 



19.0 



19.3 



4.1 



3.5 



1.0224 



1.0216 



Jul 



23.6 



21.9 



2.6 



3.7 



1.0198 



1.0215 



Aug 



25.6 



23.4 



2.5 



3.1 



1.0181 



1.0205 



Sep 



24.4 



22.8 



1.3 



2.2 



1.0208 



1.0211 



Oct 



21.6 



19.2 



1.8 



1.5 



1.0211 



1.0217 



Nov 



16.5 



14.9 



1.4 



1.0 



1.0235 



1.0230 



Dec 



7.7 



9.9 



0.7 



1.1 



1.0239 



1.0235 



Annual 



15.6 



14.5 



2.0 



2.1 



1.0223 



1.0223 



Temperature 

 53. Daily sea surface water temperatures (Figure 19) were measured with 

 an NOS water sampler and thermometer. Monthly mean water temperatures 

 (Table 8) varied with the air temperatures (see Table 2). 



46 



