Inverted echo sounder measurement of dynamic height through an ENSO cycle in the central equatorial Pacific

Author

Wimbush, Mark ; Chiswell, Stephen M. ; Lukas, Roger ; Donohue, Kathleen A.

Author_Institution

Graduate Sch. of Oceanogr., Rhode Island Univ., Narragansett, RI, USA

Volume

15

Issue

4

fYear

1990

fDate

10/1/1990 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

380

Lastpage

383

Abstract

A four-year record from an inverted echo sounder deployed near Palmyra Island at 6°N in the central Pacific Ocean is compared with a simultaneous record of subsurface pressure from this island lagoon. A factor m, converting round-trip acoustic travel time to surface dynamic height relative to a deep pressure level, was estimated from the ratio of the spectra of the two records in the energetic synoptic oscillation band. Year-to-year variation in m was not statistically significant. For the overall record, m was found to be -70±8 dynamic m/s, where the error bounds represent a 90% confidence interval. This is consistent with first-baroclinic-mode excitation

Keywords

El Nino Southern Oscillation; oceanographic regions; AD 1985 to 1989; ENSO; El Nino Southern Oscillation; central equatorial Pacific; deep pressure level; dynamic height; first-baroclinic-mode excitation; ocean dynamics; synoptic oscillation band; Acoustic measurements; Instruments; Ocean temperature; Pressure gauges; Pressure measurement; Pulse measurements; Sea measurements; Sea surface; Time measurement; Underwater communication;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Oceanic Engineering, IEEE Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0364-9059

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/48.103534

Filename

103534