Sea surface temperature as an indicator of ocean currents
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Authors
Chesbrough, Geoffrey L.
Subjects
Advisors
Leipper, Dale F.
Date of Issue
1967-05
Date
May 1967
Publisher
College Station, Texas: Texas A&M University
Language
en_US
Abstract
The need for a means of making ocean current observations that will be both rapid and economical is becoming critical. Contrary to what one might assume, there are many areas of the ocean today that have been inadequately surveyed with respect to currents. Of the approximately 550 Marsden Squares which compromise the world ocean one finds that the mean monthly distribution of current observations amounts to only 3.8 observations per Marsden Square (Engler 1963). When one considers the size of a Marsden Square it is not difficult to visualize how unsatisfactory the state of knowledge of current systems is. To claim a complete understanding based on a mean monthly distribution of only 3/8 observations for every 360,000 square nautical miles is almost sheer folly. It would seem that there is hardly sufficient data to locate currents let alone to gain an understanding of any degree of variability of meandering. The demand for environmental information, especially information on ocean currents, is rapidly increasing. Not only is this information desirable to advance the state of man's knowledge about the sea, but it also is desirable and necessary for the defense of this country. As weapons systems and sensors used in the conduct of Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) achieve higher and higher degrees of sophistication, environmental information is more and more in demand. Man's knowledge is inadequate to take care of present needs let alone those of the future. The purpose of this study is to investigate a means or method for the detection and tracking of current patterns. This method is one which is capable of being used to conduct a survey over a large area with minimum expenditure of funds. It will be explored in the eastern Gulf of Mexico.
Type
Thesis
Description
This thesis document was issued under the authority of another institution, not NPS. At the time it was written, a copy was added to the NPS Library collection for reasons not now known. It has been included in the digital archive for its historical value to NPS. Not believed to be a CIVINS (Civilian Institutions) title.
Series/Report No
Department
Oceanography
Organization
Texas A&M University
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Naval Postgraduate School