Coastal Upwelling Ecosystems Analysis. Technical Report 56. Aircraft Derived Low Level Winds and Upwelling Off the Peruvian Coast during March, April, and May 1977

摘要

The low-level mesoscale wind field over a major coastal upwelling region off the coast of Peru is investigated. The data were collected as part of the second intensive phase of the JOINT-II oceanographic experiment conducted during March, April, and May 1977. The wind and sea surface temperature (SST) data were obtained via a research aircraft flying at 500 feet. Surface data from ships, buoys, and land stations were more extensive in 1977 than in the previous year. The mesoscale data network was also increased. The strength of the wind in this area is related to the pressure gradient between the subtropical high and the lower pressures inland. The results of all the analyses and profiles performed on these data verify that wind forcing is the dominant factor in the broadscale upwelling seen in the survey area. Hydrographic cast and buoy data confirm the importance of the ocean currents to the upwelling process.