Collaborative Research: Upper Ocean Processes in EPIC2001: Horizontal Variability

Oregon State University, Corvallis OR

Investigators

Abstract

A process study called the Eastern Pacific Investigation of Climate Processes in the Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere System (EPIC) is proposed to study the behavior of the atmosphere and ocean in that region. The goals of the oceanographic component of EPIC are to describe, understand and quantify the evolution of the major oceanic structures and processes in the upper ocean under the deep convection region of the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) in order to improve regional models and ultimately gain better prediction of annual and interannual climate variability. Measurements will include mesoscale velocity temperature and salinity using expendable profilers dropped from aircraft, small scale velocity, temperature and salinity fields with a shipboard ADCP and continuous Seasoar sections, velocity microstructure and temperature, salinity and velocity finestructure by continuous microstructure profiling from a ship on station at 10 N, 95 W and radiometric and bio-optical profiles at various locations along 95 W.