Publication Abstract

Flow statistics from long-term current meter moorings. The Global Dataset in January 1989

R.R. Dickson

Following the request of the Scientific Steering Group of the World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE), the present report is intended to provide an update of an earlier report, (Dickson, 1983) which compiled a listing of global flow statistics to 1981 using all the long-terns current meter records that were then available. The statistics used were those of eddy kinetic energy per unit mass (KE) and the kinetic energy per unit mass of the mean flow (K_M) derived from long-term. shelf. The update - in two stages, pre-WOCE and post-WOCE. In the present pre-WOCE report, the intention is to define the extent of the present data set on flow statistics, principally as an aid to designing the WOCE scientific programme, while providing as complete a data-base as possible on the horizontal and vertical structure of eddy kinetic energy for use in model testing. The subsequent post-WOCE report will not only include the large new data set that will be collected during the implementation phase of this experiment, but is also intended to contain more analysis and commentary than was possible in the present version.

Reference:

R.R. Dickson, 1991. Flow statistics from long-term current meter moorings. The Global Dataset in January 1989.World Climate Research Programme 30. World Meteorological Organisation/TD- No. 337.