The evolution of upper ocean thermal structure at 10⁰N, 125⁰W during 1997-1998

In this thesis I have endeavored to determine the factors and physical processes that controlled SST and thermocline depth at 10⁰N, 125⁰W during the Pan Amer- ican Climate Study (PACS) field program. Analysis based on the PACS data set, TOPEX/Poseidon sea surface height data, European Remote Sensing satellite wind data, and model simulations and experiments reveals that the dominant mechanisms affecting the thermocline depth and SST at the mooring site during the measurement period were local surface fluxes, Ekman pumping, and vertical mixing associated with enhancement of the vertical shear by strong near-inertial waves in the upper ocean superimposed upon intra-seasonal baroclinic Rossby waves and the large scale zonal flow.

Department dc:contributor.department

Joint Program in Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science and Engineering.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2003

Author dc:creator

• Farrar, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1976-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Robert Weller.

• Joint Program in Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science and Engineering.
• Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences.
• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/58442

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/58442