Synthesizing the Gulf Stream Thermal Structure from XBT Data

Thirty-six XBT temperature profiles have been used in a parametric model introduced by Hendry to model the Gulf Stream's thermal structure at 65 deg W between 200 and 1200 dbar, with an rms residual error of 0.56 deg C. Velocity has been computed geostrophically relative to 1200 dbar, and has b...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Hall, Melinda M
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
BATHYTHERMOGRAPHS
CROSSINGS
EXPENDABLE
GULF STREAM
HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEYING
OBSERVATION
PARAMETRIC ANALYSIS
Physical and Dynamic Oceanography
PROFILES
RESIDUALS
STRUCTURES
TEMPERATURE
THERMOCLINES
VELOCITY
VORTICES
XBT(EXPENDABLE BATHYTHERMOGRAPH)
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Summary:Thirty-six XBT temperature profiles have been used in a parametric model introduced by Hendry to model the Gulf Stream's thermal structure at 65 deg W between 200 and 1200 dbar, with an rms residual error of 0.56 deg C. Velocity has been computed geostrophically relative to 1200 dbar, and has been included in calculating potential vorticity analytically from the model. The resulting potential vorticity section for 65 deg W has been compared with the analogous result from Hendry's parametric model at 59 deg W, as well as observed potential vorticity sections from 68 deg to 55 deg W. There is a significant feature in the potential vorticity structure at 65 deg W not found at 59 deg W, namely a relative minimum in potential vorticity along isopycnals, centered at the Gulf Stream's axis and 350 dbar. The modelled potential vorticity sections are consistent with the observations, including the downstream disappearance of this feature. The dynamical implications of these results are briefly discussed.