SUMMARY OF COAST FLIGHT 11

Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2001 21:50:07 -0400
From: John Bane
Subject: COAST Flight Report - July 12

COAST Flight Number 11 was flown on July 12, 2001. This flight was the fourth of a series of near-weekly surveys we are conducting during the period between major COAST cruises. (It was, however, only the second such flight completed in its entirety, as two of the earlier attempts were concluded early due to weather constraints.) On this flight, Big Box Lines 8, 6, 4, and 2 were flown from south to north, and measurements were made of: SST, ocean color, and ocean subsurface temperature; atmospheric winds, temperature and humidity. Measurements began on Line 8 about 1400 PDT and were completed on Line 8 about 1730 PDT.

AXBTs were deployed as follows:

Line 2: 6 AXBTs
Line 6: 7 AXBTs

Vertical sections of meteorological variables were made on lines 4 and 8, extending from 60 m to 800 m altitude. These sections showed a strong temperature inversion capping the marine mixed layer, and the inversion sloped distinctly upward toward the west. A well-defined marine layer jet was observed over the entire area within the marine layer. Wind speed maxima were seen in the jet to be over 30 knots, with the maximum at any location occurring above the ocean surface, typically at about 200-500m.

The SST data (all four lines) and ocean subsurface temperature sections (lines 2 and 6) showed clear signatures of upwelling, with the nearshore cold water band widening towards the south. Coldest SSTs were seen along the shoreward end of Line 8, with temperatures between 8 and 9C. The relatively strong surface winds throughout the Big Box area precluded observing any slicks or internal wave bands, as was done on several of our earlier flights.

(Disclaimer - These descriptions are from looking at computer graphical displays while aboard the aircraft, and closer inspection of post-flight data products will provide more accurate conclusions, some of which may differ from statements here.)

Data products will be available from http://www.marine.unc.edu/cool/COAST or they may be retrieved from the real-time results or 4-days-plus results areas. All of these are buttons off of the main COAST site.

Submitted by:
John Bane
July 13, 2001