A study of surface, 50 meter and 200 meter temperature and salinity fluctuations at ocean weather station November, 1968-1970.

Abstract

Long and short-term surface, 50 and 200 meter temperature and salinity fluctuations at Ocean Weather Station November during 1968 through 1970 were examined using several statistical techniques. One technique, a unique monthly bi-variate modal analysis of surface temperature and salinity, proved to be a valuable research tool in that the resulting monthly modal cells, when plotted on a T-S diagram, provided a simplified view of the annual T-S relationships. The average range of mean monthly temperatures at the surface was found to be 5.6º C and 4.0 Cº at 50 meters. Salinity at both the surface and 50 meters exhibited a semi-annual periodicity. Range of temperature at 200 meters was 1.5º C. The results of a seasonal linear regression analysis show that surface and 50 meter temperatures were correlated during periods of increasing or decreasing surface temperatures. Surface temperature and salinity were correlated only during the apparent advection of modified subarctic water into the region around OWS November.