ESTIMATING PARAMETERS OF THE OCEANIC DIURNAL THERMOCLINE USING SATELLITE AND SHIP-BORNE MEASUREMENTS

The diurnal variability of the near-surface ocean thermal structure is briefly considered along with the corresponding variability of variou s near-surface processes. Problem of the satellite remote sensing of s ea surface temperature (SST) in the presence of the diurnal heated lay er is discussed. Dependence of the diurnal thermocline temperature dif ference (Delta T-D) and lower boundary depth (H-D) on wind speed (u(10 )) is demonstrated using field measurements in the range of u(10) = 0- 13 m/s. Here Delta T-D decreases sharply from maximum values to about 1 degrees C when u(10) increases from 0 to 2 m/s, while H is practical ly unchanged. As the wind continues to increase Delta T-D is approxima tely proportional to 1/u(10) and H-D is approximately proportional to u(10). A simple method is proposed to estimate H from satellite or shi p-borne measurements of the daily variation of SST and the heated laye r enthalpy (computed from the daily total of incoming solar flux using a relation derived from field measurements).