Large-scale Satellite Oceanography in Eastern Pacific Upwelling Regions

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Large-scale Satellite Oceanography in Eastern
Pacific Upwelling Regions
Andrew Thomas University of Maine Recent
manuscript collaborators Jose Luis Blanco, Mary
Elena Carr, Scott Nixon, Jorge Ossus, Ted Strub
Valparaiso, January 2003
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Interests - Overview

• Coupling between wind forcing, hydrographic
  patterns and biological response
• Focus on phytoplankton biomass response
• Large-scale view (remote sensing data)
• requires collaboration - for in situ data
• - expert local knowledge
• - I dont know much
• Comparisons between eastern boundary current
  regions
• California Current Humboldt Current
• Benguela Current Canary Current
• links to basin scale patterns low latitude
  forcing ( high latitude forcing)

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Backgroundmy South American efforts
Older
Still dont know much
Carr M-E., P.T. Strub, A.C. Thomas and J.L.
Blanco, 2002, Evolution of 1996-1999 La Nina and
El Nino conditions off the western coast of
South America a remote sensing perspective, J.
Geophys. Res. Blanco J.L., M-E. Carr, A.C. Thomas
and P.T. Strub, 2002, Hydrographic conditions off
northern Chile during the 1996-1998 La Nina and
El Nino, J. Geophys. Res. Thomas A.C., M.E.
Carr and P. T. Strub, 2001, Chlorophyll
variability in eastern boundary currents,
Geophys. Res. Lett. Nixon, S.W. and A.C. Thomas,
2001, On the size of the Peru upwelling
ecosystem. Deep Sea Res. I. Blanco J.L., A.C.
Thomas, M-E. Carr and P.T. Strub, 2001, Seasonal
climatology of hydrographic conditions in the
upwelling region off northern Chile, J.
Geophys. Res. Thomas A.C., J.L. Blanco, M.E.
Carr, P.T. Strub and J. Ossus, 2001,
Satellite-measured chlorophyll and temperature
variability off northern Chile during the
1996-1998 La Nina and El Nino, J. Geophys.
Res.  Thomas A.C., P. T. Strub, M.E. Carr and R.
Weatherbee, 2003. Comparisons of chlorophyll
variability between the four major global
eastern boundary currents. Int. J. Rem. Sens.
Thomas, A.C. 1999, Seasonal distributions of
satellite-measured phytoplankton pigment
concentration along the Chilean coast. J.
Geophys. Res. Hill, A.E., B.M.Hickey,
F.A.Shillington, P.T.Strub, K.H. Brink,
E.D.Barton, A.C. Thomas, 1998. Eastern
Boundary Currents A Pan-Regional Review. In The
Sea. A.R. Robinson and K.H. Brink, Editors.
J.Wiley and Sons Inc. Thomas, A.C., P.T.
Strub and S. Levesque. 1994. Satellite measured
ocean color variability at large spatial and
temporal scales. World Meteorological
Organization, UNESCO. Thomas, A.C., P.T. Strub,
F. Huang and C. James. 1994. A comparison of the
seasonal and interannual variability of
phytoplankton pigment concentrations in the Peru
and California Current System. J. Geophys. Res.
Carr M-E., P.T. Strub, A.C. Thomas and J.L.
Blanco, 2002, Evolution of 1996-1999 La Nina and
El Nino conditions off the western coast of
South America a remote sensing perspective, J.
Geophys. Res. Blanco J.L., M-E. Carr, A.C. Thomas
and P.T. Strub, 2002, Hydrographic conditions off
northern Chile during the 1996-1998 La Nina and
El Nino, J. Geophys. Res. Thomas A.C., M.E.
Carr and P. T. Strub, 2001, Chlorophyll
variability in eastern boundary currents,
Geophys. Res. Lett. Nixon, S.W. and A.C. Thomas,
2001, On the size of the Peru upwelling
ecosystem. Deep Sea Res. Blanco J.L., A.C.
Thomas, M-E. Carr and P.T. Strub, 2001, Seasonal
climatology of hydrographic conditions in the
upwelling region off northern Chile, J. Geophys.
Res. Thomas A.C., J.L. Blanco, M.E. Carr, P.T.
Strub and J. Ossus, 2001, Satellite-measured
chlorophyll and temperature variability off
northern Chile during the 1996-1998 La Nina and
El Nino, J. Geophys. Res.
Younger
Didnt know much
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Seasonal Cycles - monthly SeaWiFS composites
Based on newest (2002) SeaWiFS processing
February
July
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Seasonal Cycles GRL 2001
SeaWiFS (3 years)
CZCS (7 years)
summer
summer
Wind CHL
summer
summer
Summer Centered in each Hemisphere
Amplitude Phase r2
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30o latitudinal boundary
Noted in CZCS data Thomas 1999 JGR Very evident
in SeaWiFS / Wind / SST data Thomas et al. 2001
GRL
.as Rubén showed yesterday with other data
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Interannual Variability
3 years GRL 2001 a preliminary view
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Interannual Variability
SeaWiFS (4 years) - monthly CONCENTRATIONS
100km mean
SeaWiFS (4 years) - monthly ANOMALIES 100km
mean
1997 1998 1999
2000 2001
1997 1998 1999
2000 2001
Work in progress presented at 2002 Ocean
Sciences Meeting
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Examine EL NIÑO Timing and structure
Compare Northern Hemisphere response to Southern
Hemisphere responsemulti-disciplinary satellite
dataaltimeter anomalies ERS TOPEXSST
anomalies NOAA AVHRRchlorophyll anomalies
SeaWiFSEkman transport ERS QuikSCAT
Work in progress presented at 2002 Viña El Niño
Conference
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El Nino Comparisons N S Timing
ALTIMETER Sea Surface Height Residuals
(1997-1998)
Low latitudes
Baja VS N.Chile
Mid latitudes
High Sea Levels
SeaWiFS Data Begins
1997 1998
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Anomaly Time Series 1997-98 Baja VS N. Chile
(28N-22oS) Data Height (SSH)
Baja
N. Chile
1997 1998
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Anomaly Time Series 1997-98 Baja VS N. Chile
(28N-22oS) Data Height (SSH) SST
Baja
_at_ 21oN
N. Chile
1997 1998
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Anomaly Time Series 1997-98 Baja VS N. Chile
(28N-22oS) Data Height (SSH) SST CHL
Baja
N. Chile
1997 1998
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Anomaly Time Series 1997-98 Baja VS N. Chile
(28N-22oS) Data Height (SSH) SST CHL WIND
(Ekman)
Baja
N. Chile
1997 1998
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Anomaly Time Series 1997-98 MID Latitudes (35o
NS) Data Height (SSH)
California
Chile
1997 1998
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Anomaly Time Series 1997-98 MID Latitudes (35o
NS) Data Height (SSH) SST
California
Chile
1997 1998
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Anomaly Time Series 1997-98 MID Latitudes (35o
NS) Data Height (SSH) SST CHL
California
Chile
1997 1998
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Anomaly Time Series 1997-98 MID Latitudes (35o
NS) Data Height (SSH) SST CHL Wind (EKMAN)
California
Work in Progress
Chile
1997 1998
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VARIABILITY ANALYSIS
5 year time series of monthly SeaWiFS data
21.4
1997 1998 1999 2000
2001 2002
1997 1998 1999 2000
2001 2002
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Monthly anomalies (from new 2002 processing
data)
September 1997
October 1997
November 1997
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Monthly anomalies (from new 2002 processing
data)
December 1997
January 1998
February 1998
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Monthly anomalies (from new 2002 processing
data)
July 1998
June 1998
May 1998
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Large Positive Anomalies off North America in
2002 !! Presented at November 2002 GLOBEC meeting
(Oregon)
EOF (pattern)
April 2002
EOF (time series)
May 2002
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Summary
Data SeaWiFS MODIS color AVHRR MODIS
SST QuikSCAT ERS wind TOPEX ERS heights
So much to do..so much fun.. Send students!
gracias