Ocean Weather Forecasting

This volume covers a wide range of topics and summarizes our present knowledge in ocean modeling, ocean observing systems, and data assimilation. The Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment (GODAE) provides a framework for these efforts: a global system of observations, communications, modeling, and assimilation that will deliver regular, comprehensive information on the state of the oceans, engendering wide utility and availability for maximum benefit to the community.

Commerce and the general publicâ€"especially those living in increasingly crowded, highly developed low-lying coastal communitiesâ€"rely heavily on accurate forecasts of marine conditions and weather over the oceans to ensure the safe and productive use of the sea and coastal zone. This book examines the opportunities to improve our ocean forecasting systems made possible by new observational techniques and high-speed computers. Significant benefits from these potential improvements are possible for transportation, ocean energy and resources development, fisheries and recreation, and coastal management.

November issue includes abridged index to yearly volume.

Marine fog forecasts during the summer period in the North Pacific are not made presently with any acceptable degree of accuracy. Objective fog development models exist and are used with some success for localized coastal regions of the western U.S.; scarcity of accurate data has hindered creation of a reliable open-ocean model. The Eulerian single-station approach, utilizing a segment of the complete accurate data of Ocean Weather Station Papa (50N, 145W) is applied in this study to an objective marine fog forecasting model. The time-series study of significant atmospheric variables at OWS Papa, when coupled with a chronological synoptic overview, delineates accurately fog/no fog sequences in the summer months of 1973 and 1977. Actual observed fog situations are evaluated by the general model and presented in relation to open-ocean fog indices, NOAA 5 satellite coverage and synoptic history. The open-ocean forecast model is tested on an independent data set for the month of July 1975 at OWS Papa, with favorable results. The research delineates four required indices that must all be positive to forecast fog. These indices, when plotted daily in the region of OWS Papa allow a single station to predict, with some confidence out to twenty-four hours, the occurrence of advection fog. (Author).

Weather Predicting Simplified is the first book that shows the reader, with many sample satellite photos and weather maps, how to predict the weather easily and accurately - without having to wait for hours for NOAA updates.