Gridded Thermocline Depth Data in the Central and Inlet Array from SYNOP Experiment; Gulf Stream

Contoured Maps of Thermocline Depth. A strong subsurface temperature gradient, called the thermocline, is associated with the Gulf Stream. The thermocline slopes downward from the sea surface to depths of about 1000 meters on the southern side of the Gulf Stream. Measurements of the subsurface temperature field were made by two arrays of inverted echo sounders. One array (the Inlet Array) was located near Cape Hatteras and the other (the Central Array) was centered near 68W. The depth of the 12 degree Centigrade temperature is contoured above using a 50 meter contour interval. The shallowest depths (the upper right corner) are less than 150 meters and the deepest depths (lower right) are in excess of 850 meters. The gridded Gulf Stream thermocline depth data mapped using objective analysis technique from IES measurements. Two sets of maps are available: one for Inlet array and the other for the Central array. The daily maps cover almost the whole experiment period: from October 1987 through August 1990.