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- Author or Editor: Wensu Wang x
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Abstract
The primary objective of this work is to formulate surface meteorological fields over the northwestern Gulf of Mexico for the period from April 1992 through November 1994 useful for the study of mesoscale processes and for model forcing of the near-coastal circulation. Observations were adjusted to standard heights, and a method of statistical interpolation was applied to time series of in situ observations to produce the required surface fields. Resulting monthly and seasonal mean fields show two principal patterns over the Texas-Louisiana shelf region—for summer and nonsummer. From June through August, surface winds are relatively constant, with alongshore wind components generally directed upcoast (from Mexico toward the Mississippi Delta). In other (nonsummer) months, surface winds are much more variable with alongshore wind components generally directed downcoast. The relatively large interannual variability is illustrated. Using these meteorological fields together with rather complete oceanographic data available from the same period, the effects of episodic atmospheric events on the circulation and properties of the Texas-Louisiana shelf may be examined. As examples, two extreme atmospheric events are characterized in terms of wind, surface air temperature, SST, and sensible heat flux fields: a cold air outbreak in November 1992 and a cyclone generated in March 1993 known as the “Storm of the Century.”
Abstract
The primary objective of this work is to formulate surface meteorological fields over the northwestern Gulf of Mexico for the period from April 1992 through November 1994 useful for the study of mesoscale processes and for model forcing of the near-coastal circulation. Observations were adjusted to standard heights, and a method of statistical interpolation was applied to time series of in situ observations to produce the required surface fields. Resulting monthly and seasonal mean fields show two principal patterns over the Texas-Louisiana shelf region—for summer and nonsummer. From June through August, surface winds are relatively constant, with alongshore wind components generally directed upcoast (from Mexico toward the Mississippi Delta). In other (nonsummer) months, surface winds are much more variable with alongshore wind components generally directed downcoast. The relatively large interannual variability is illustrated. Using these meteorological fields together with rather complete oceanographic data available from the same period, the effects of episodic atmospheric events on the circulation and properties of the Texas-Louisiana shelf may be examined. As examples, two extreme atmospheric events are characterized in terms of wind, surface air temperature, SST, and sensible heat flux fields: a cold air outbreak in November 1992 and a cyclone generated in March 1993 known as the “Storm of the Century.”
Abstract
Hourly wind fields for the northwestern Gulf of Mexico (here called LATEX winds) were constructed from in situ measurements for the period April 1992 through November 1994 using statistical (optimal) interpolation. Here the LATEX winds are compared with the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) and the European Remote Sensing Satellite (ERS-1) scatterometer winds for the same period and region. Comparisons show no significant bias between LATEX and ERS-1 wind speeds or directions. LATEX and ERS-1 wind fields nearly coincide except during extreme meteorological events when ERS-1 fields may show noncoherent patterns over distances for which coherence is expected; for those situations, LATEX winds appear more realistic. Although there is no significant bias between wind speeds, the direction bias is more than 10° between the LATEX and NCEP winds. The largest differences between LATEX and NCEP winds occurred near the coast. In summer, the NCEP and LATEX winds showed larger differences and smaller variance; for winter the reverse was true. The authors conclude from the comparisons that LATEX wind fields provided realistic and detailed surface winds that are appropriate for the study of mesoscale processes and forcing of numerical models over the Texas–Louisiana continental shelf.
Abstract
Hourly wind fields for the northwestern Gulf of Mexico (here called LATEX winds) were constructed from in situ measurements for the period April 1992 through November 1994 using statistical (optimal) interpolation. Here the LATEX winds are compared with the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) and the European Remote Sensing Satellite (ERS-1) scatterometer winds for the same period and region. Comparisons show no significant bias between LATEX and ERS-1 wind speeds or directions. LATEX and ERS-1 wind fields nearly coincide except during extreme meteorological events when ERS-1 fields may show noncoherent patterns over distances for which coherence is expected; for those situations, LATEX winds appear more realistic. Although there is no significant bias between wind speeds, the direction bias is more than 10° between the LATEX and NCEP winds. The largest differences between LATEX and NCEP winds occurred near the coast. In summer, the NCEP and LATEX winds showed larger differences and smaller variance; for winter the reverse was true. The authors conclude from the comparisons that LATEX wind fields provided realistic and detailed surface winds that are appropriate for the study of mesoscale processes and forcing of numerical models over the Texas–Louisiana continental shelf.
