Some Oceanographic Features of the Northeast Pacific Ocean during August 1955
Physical oceanographic data from the international NorPac survey of August 1955, in the area north of Lat. 45°N and east of Long. 161°W, were examined. The temperature, salinity, and density distribution and structure from the surface to 2000 m are discussed.The temperature structure showed an isoth...
Published in: | Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada |
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Canadian Science Publishing
1959
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crcansciencepubl:10.1139/f59-047 2024-04-07T07:53:51+00:00 Some Oceanographic Features of the Northeast Pacific Ocean during August 1955 Bennett, E. B. 1959 http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f59-047 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/f59-047 en eng Canadian Science Publishing http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada volume 16, issue 5, page 565-633 ISSN 0015-296X journal-article 1959 crcansciencepubl https://doi.org/10.1139/f59-047 2024-03-08T00:37:36Z Physical oceanographic data from the international NorPac survey of August 1955, in the area north of Lat. 45°N and east of Long. 161°W, were examined. The temperature, salinity, and density distribution and structure from the surface to 2000 m are discussed.The temperature structure showed an isothermal layer to about 30 m depth, a marked thermocline to about 100 m depth, a temperature inversion in most of the area, and below this a gradual temperature decrease into the abyss. At all depths the water was coldest in a "cold core" centered about 100 miles south of Kodiak and the Shumagin Islands. From there the temperature increased at each level in all directions.The salinity structure showed an isohaline layer to about 100 m depth, a marked halocline to about 200 m depth, and below this the salinity increased slightly into the abyss. The salinity structure did not coincide with the temperature structure.The density structure showed an isopycnal layer to about 30 m depth, a pycnocline associated with the thermocline, a second isopycnal layer, a second pycnocline associated with the halocline, and below this the density increased slightly into the abyss.Variations in these structures throughout the region are discussed in some detail.There is no horizontal isosteric level in the 2000 m of depth. It is concluded that there is no level of "no net motion" in this range, but a reference level of 2000 decibars (db) for dynamic calculations is more acceptable than the usual 1000-db level. A new procedure is introduced to extend the reference level into the bottom in near coastal areas.The geostrophic currents were calculated. There was a major latitudinal drift from the west into the central part of the area. It veered northward and continued around the Gulf of Alaska, forming the Alaska Gyral, and left the area to the westward, as an intensified current (Alaskan Stream) close along the Alaskan Peninsula. This intensification is probably due to conservation of absolute vorticity through changing latitude.The ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Kodiak Alaska Canadian Science Publishing Gulf of Alaska Pacific Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada 16 5 565 633 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Canadian Science Publishing |
op_collection_id |
crcansciencepubl |
language |
English |
description |
Physical oceanographic data from the international NorPac survey of August 1955, in the area north of Lat. 45°N and east of Long. 161°W, were examined. The temperature, salinity, and density distribution and structure from the surface to 2000 m are discussed.The temperature structure showed an isothermal layer to about 30 m depth, a marked thermocline to about 100 m depth, a temperature inversion in most of the area, and below this a gradual temperature decrease into the abyss. At all depths the water was coldest in a "cold core" centered about 100 miles south of Kodiak and the Shumagin Islands. From there the temperature increased at each level in all directions.The salinity structure showed an isohaline layer to about 100 m depth, a marked halocline to about 200 m depth, and below this the salinity increased slightly into the abyss. The salinity structure did not coincide with the temperature structure.The density structure showed an isopycnal layer to about 30 m depth, a pycnocline associated with the thermocline, a second isopycnal layer, a second pycnocline associated with the halocline, and below this the density increased slightly into the abyss.Variations in these structures throughout the region are discussed in some detail.There is no horizontal isosteric level in the 2000 m of depth. It is concluded that there is no level of "no net motion" in this range, but a reference level of 2000 decibars (db) for dynamic calculations is more acceptable than the usual 1000-db level. A new procedure is introduced to extend the reference level into the bottom in near coastal areas.The geostrophic currents were calculated. There was a major latitudinal drift from the west into the central part of the area. It veered northward and continued around the Gulf of Alaska, forming the Alaska Gyral, and left the area to the westward, as an intensified current (Alaskan Stream) close along the Alaskan Peninsula. This intensification is probably due to conservation of absolute vorticity through changing latitude.The ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Bennett, E. B. |
spellingShingle |
Bennett, E. B. Some Oceanographic Features of the Northeast Pacific Ocean during August 1955 |
author_facet |
Bennett, E. B. |
author_sort |
Bennett, E. B. |
title |
Some Oceanographic Features of the Northeast Pacific Ocean during August 1955 |
title_short |
Some Oceanographic Features of the Northeast Pacific Ocean during August 1955 |
title_full |
Some Oceanographic Features of the Northeast Pacific Ocean during August 1955 |
title_fullStr |
Some Oceanographic Features of the Northeast Pacific Ocean during August 1955 |
title_full_unstemmed |
Some Oceanographic Features of the Northeast Pacific Ocean during August 1955 |
title_sort |
some oceanographic features of the northeast pacific ocean during august 1955 |
publisher |
Canadian Science Publishing |
publishDate |
1959 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f59-047 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/f59-047 |
geographic |
Gulf of Alaska Pacific |
geographic_facet |
Gulf of Alaska Pacific |
genre |
Kodiak Alaska |
genre_facet |
Kodiak Alaska |
op_source |
Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada volume 16, issue 5, page 565-633 ISSN 0015-296X |
op_rights |
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1139/f59-047 |
container_title |
Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada |
container_volume |
16 |
container_issue |
5 |
container_start_page |
565 |
op_container_end_page |
633 |
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1795670016611319808 |