Results of a limited comparison of HCMM sea surface temperature data with in situ data suggest that the HCMM data can provide a rather accurate representation of the sea surface temperature and temperature pattern. In the Nantucket Shoals region, the HCMM analysis provided data on the surface heating and on transport south of Nantucket Island and Nantucket Sound. The analyses also revealed the sea surface temperature structure of an anticyclonic warm ring

Vukovich, F. M.

English

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https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19830013191 2020-03-21T03:38:09+00:00Z
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October 1982
Final Report
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RESEARCH TRIANGLE P A R K, NORTH CAROLINA 27709
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MARINE APPLICATIONS OF HCMM SATELLITE DATA
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"Made available under NASA sponsor011)
in tt •,e interest 01 early and 
wire r1
sem ► nat ► n n
 of Earth Resources survey
''	
ProRra i information and wiliwut I^a^ ► lity
for any use mode tharrut:
Fred M. Vukovich
f	
Research Triangle Institute
P. 0. Box 12194
Research Triangle Park, N. C. 27709
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{
Prepared for
Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryl aod
(98J- 1102i: 1)	 nAh1Nz. Aj?eLIC:A •r10N5 OF HChM
SATELLITL LA'1 A Fival hepart (Research
TriauglL^ Inst.;
	 11 p tic: AU2 /MF A01 CSt_,L UC•C
N63-2 1462
wFOREWORD
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This	 report	 by	 the	 Office	 of	 Geosciences Programs	 of the	 Research
Triangle	 Institute,	 Research	 Triangle	 Park,	 North Carolina, presents	 the
results	 of the	 analysis of HCMM infrared data in the Nantucket Shoals region
and	 in	 an	 anticyclonic warm ring,	 The report was prepared for the National
Aeronautics	 and	 Space Administration,	 Goddard Space	 Flight Center	 under
Contract No,	 S97807-B.
PRCCACE
The results of a limited comparison of HCMM sea-surface temperature data
With in sJ! data suggested that the NCMM data can provide a rather accurate
representation of the sea-surface temperature and temperature pattern, In the
Nantucket Shoals region, the HCMM analyses provided data on the surface heat-
ing, and on transport south of Nantucket Island and in NantuCke't Sound. They
also provided data on the sear surfaCe tempet'atutee structure of an anticycloiiC
warm ring,
ii
4t
t	 i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
4
Page
	
1.0	 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 	 1 t
tS
I
	2.0	 Comparative Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 	 2
	
3.0	 Nantucket Shoals Analyses . . . . . . . . . . . . . 	 . . . . . . . .	 7
t
	
4.0	 The Warm Ring Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 	 . . . . 13
t
	5.0	 Discussion of Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
	
6.0	 References.	 . . . . . .	 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 	 . . . 16
r-
LIST OF FIGURES
it{ Page
Figure 1 Map showing positions where in situ see-surface
temperatures were obtained in	 e Nantucket Shoals. 3
Figure 2 Comparison of in situ and HCMM sea-surface tempera-
turns along the transects in Figure 1 for the
July	 1978	 case .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 . .	 .	 4
Figure 3 Comparison of ir situ and HCMM sea-surface tempera-
tures along the transects in Figure 1 for the
September	 1978	 case	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 . .	 .	 5
Figure 4 An overall comparison of in situ and HCMM sea-
surface temperatures.	 .	 ..	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 . .	 .	 6
Figure 5 HCMM sea-surface (°C) temperature analysis for
10 June 1978 in the Nantucket Shoals region .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 . .	 .	 8
Figure 6 HCMM sea-surface (°C) temperature analysis for
1 July 1978 in the Nantucket Shoals region.	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 . .	 .	 9
Figure 7 HCMM sea-surface (°C) temperature analysis for
12 July 1978 in the Nantucket Shoals region .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 . .	 .	 10
Figure 8 HCMM sea-surface (°C) temperature analysis for
2 September 1978 in the Nantucket Shoals region .	 .	 .	 . .	 .	 11
Figure 9 HCMM sea-surface (°C) temperature analysis in a
warm	 ring	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 . .	 .	 14
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1.0 Introduction
The heat capacity maning mission (HCMM) satellite was the first of a
planned series of applications explorer missions that involve the placement of
a small, dedicated spacecraft in special orbits to satisfy mission-unique data
acquisition requirements. The satellite was specifically designed to support
exploratory scientific investigations to determine the feasibility of utiliz-
ing thermal infrared remote-sensing measurements of the earth's surface to
estimate the thermal inertia. The satellite was launched on April 26, 1978,
and completed over 6500 orbits before the experiment was terminated in
October 1980. The spacecraft orbit was sun-synchronous with a nominal ascend-
ing equator crossing time of 1400 Local Standard Time (LST), in order to
provide north mid latitude crossing times of 1330 and 0230 LST.
ti
	
	
The satellite had a two-channel scanning radiometer; one channel was in
the visible band from 0.5 to 1.1 micrometers, and the other channel viewed the
v thermal infrared band from 10.5 to 12.5 micrometers. The measurement accuracy
of the two channels was limited by the analog telemetry system to 0.2 mW
CM-2 power in the visible band and to 0.4 K at 200 K in the infrared band.
The orbital altitude of the satellite was 620 kilometers, and the angular
resolution was 0.83 milliradians which yielded a resolution surface of the
earth at nadir of 600 m x 600 m in the infrared channel and 500 m x 500 m in
the visible channel.
Though the principal purpose of the HCMM satellite data was to develop
estimates of the thermal inertia, the high resolution data offered a potential
to examine in detail the sea-surface temperature distribution. This paper
offers examples cif the utilization of the HCMM data describing the sea-surface
temperature distribution associated with the cold lens over the Nantucket
Shoals and the sea-surface temperature pattern associated with a warm ring.
u
a2.0 Comparative Studies
Before presenting the analysis of the sea-surface temperature patterns,
the results of a brief study on the accuracy of the HCMM data are presented.
Figure 1 shows the positions of stations along which sea-surface temperature
data were collected by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (Limeburner,
Beardsley, and Esaias, 1980). The stations in the figure oriented in a north-
south direction will here "-f*pr be referred to as N-S transect and those
stations oriented in a west-east direction will hereafter be referred to as
W-E transect. Figures 2 and 3 show the comparison of the Woods Hole sea-
surface temperature data with the HCMM sea-surface temperature data along the
two transects for a period in July 1978 and one in September 1978. The HCMM
data, which were corrected for atmospheric attenuation and were calibrated,
show strong agreement with the in situ data both in the absolute and relative
reference frame. P. comparison of 57 distinct observations produced a root-
mean-square difference of t 1.0°C and a linear correlation coefficient of 0.97
(Figure 4).
r.
r
2
r.
iORIGINAL PAGE IS
or 
POOR QUAl17y,,
Figure 1. Map showing positions where in 
situ sea-surface temperatures were
obtained in the Nantucket Shoals.
Yr
OF r pppR PAGE IS
QUALITY
a
0
!I
18 N-S Transact
17 -- In situ Data (15 .20 July 1978)
--- HCMM Data ('12 July 1978)
16
m
15
E 14
CL
E 13
11
10
41.6 0 N 40.50 N
69.9 0 W 69.30 W
18
E4k T a n e e c t
17 1
16-
0
m 15
14 -
\\CLEh 13 -- In situ Date	 \\
12 --- HCMM Data
11 ^^
10
0	 20 40	 60	 80	 100	 120	 140 160	 180
70.7 0 W (km)	 69.30 W
Figure 2. Comparison of in situ and HCMM sea-surface temperatures along the
transects in Figure 1 for the July 1978 case.
4
Opp ^,^^
19
N-S Ransect
17 -- In situ Data (14-19 Sept. 1978)
v	
--- HCMM Data (2 Sept. 1978)
L 16-j
1 15
m
CL 14
13
L12
11 
	
41.6°N	 40.5'N
	
69.9 0 W	 69.30 W
18
17
U
°- 16
m
0
15m
CL
14
12
12
1.0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
	
70.7 0 W	 (km)	 69.30 W
Figure 3. Comparison of in situ and HCMM sea-surface temperatures along the
transects in Figure 1 for the September 1978 case.
5
ORIGINA L
 PAGe
OF POOR QUALITY
26
Ey 	RMSQ - :t: 1,0° C
=- 24	 R 0,97
22
20
cv 18	
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•	 s
c.	 s	 •
14	 + ^^.	 •
0	
.	 •. •
12
108 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26
Satellite Surface Temperatures (00
Figure 4, A, overall comparison of in situ and NDIM sea-surface temperatures.
0U
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3.0 Nantucket . Shoals Analyses
Figures 5 through 8 show the analyses of thG HCMM sea-surface temperature
n_
data in the Nantucket Shoals region for the period of June-September, 1978.
The data presents a time history of a cold lens formed immediately south of
Cape Cod over the Shoals which is produced by tidal mixing.
	 The Mixing
phenomena occurs the year round, but the cold lens is most distinct from about
May-September. In the winter, the water in this region is uniformly mixed in
the vertical. Though tidal mixing turns over the water, little or no hori-
zontal temperature contrasts are developed.
	 In the late spring and early
summer, the surface water is heated and the mixed layer is developed. The
tidal mixing brings cooler subsurface water to the surface, and a strong
horizontal contrast is developed.
Nantucket Shoals region is a major fish spawning area off the northeast
coast of the United States. A strong signal indicating the presence of the
cold lens is important because primary production of chlorophyll biomass is
directly associated with development of an identifiable cold feature. The
cold feature in some years develops in early May;.
 and in other years, in late
May, The timing for the production of the cold lens relative to spawning is
important because it may have pronounced effects on the success of an entire
colony of larvae.	 Limeburner et al. (1980) found that on about 1 June 1978
the central temperature in the cold lens over the Nantucket Shoals was about
7°C. Combining their results with these indicates that the central tempera-
ture in the cold lens increased about 3°C between 1 June and 1 July 1978, and
only 1°C between 1 June and 2 September 1978. Whereas, in the waters to the
north of the Nantucket Shoals, the surface temperatures increased approxi-
mately 4°C in the period of 1 June to 1 July 1978; and remained relatively
unchanged in the period of 1 July to 2 September 1978.
7
ORIGINAL PAGE IS
	 ^^	 ^AG ISOF F'UOR QUAi fTy	 P	 QUALITY
Figure 5. HCMM sea-surface (°C) temperature analysis for 10 June 1978 in the
Nantucket Shoals region.
t
8
Urbu"INAL PAGE IS
OF POOR QUALITY
is
12
17
18
17
IG
19
LL//"	 lti
'	 15
1G
13
r
17
17	 19	 10
IG
16
18
^19
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15
IA
13
11	 12 
18 y	 14 13	
12	 11	 10	 10
10 111,
^yld
19	 16	
17 1G	 15
I
	
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65
Figure 6. HCMM sea-surface (°C) temperature analysis for 1 July 1978 in the
Nantucket Shoals region.
ORIGINAL PAGE IS
OF POOR QUALITY
4 15 "4	 17
16 16 .
1
lb
17	 18
19 /
	
20	 10
16
`16
is
19
18	
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13
18	 17	 15	
14	 12
17	 16
14
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11	 to
17
17
1	 10
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13
13 
12
5 14
16
17	 1•
17
16
18	
15
19	
^ LO
.n 69
Figure 7. HCMM sea-surface (°C) temperature analysis for 12 July 1978 in the
Nantucket Shoals region.
n
I E
	
10
ORIGINAL RAGE is
OF POOR QUALrry
S1
I
16 16	 ^17	 17t) 17
lh
16
 
IS
16
16
^	 180
^17
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3
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11
16
17
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16
15	 12,14	 1	 11
17
17
17r\/
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17 ,	 17 
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ou	 vo
Figure 8. HCMM sea-surface (°C) temperature analysis for 2 September 1978 in
the Nantucket Shoals region.
An interesting feature to note is the intrusion of cold surface water
south of Nantucket Island 
in 
the period of 10 June tuo Z September 1978.
Initially, the intrusion is manifested as the westward bulge of cold water
south of the Island. 
In 
time, it evolves into a narrow tonque of cold water
that moves eastward and then turns to the northwest. Average currents 
in 
the
cold tongue were estimated to be about 8 cm 5	 It is in the area of this
cold intrusion that Limaburner of al, fOLInd relatively high concentrations of
chloroplVil A.
Another interesting feature is the penetration of the front associated
with the cold Ions into Nantucket Sound (the region immediately north of Nan-
tucket lslandj. The penetration is most pronounced, on I July and 2 Selptembm%
1978, These pone'Crations are believed to bas
 
duo to tr nspoi,,ts produced by
currents associated with the tide.
r^
4.0	 The Harm Ring Analysis
The warm ring depictod in Figure 9 began to develop on 7 .tune 1978.	 The
'E rind	 broke	 off	 and	 become	 independent of	 the Gulf Stream around 	 the 9 or
10 June 1978.	 At the time of the analysis (10 June 1978), the ring was drift-
ing westward at a speed of about 5 km per
	
day.	 The warm, ring is centered at
r 39.4"N	 and 68.61W.	 It is almost circular, having a diameter	 of approximately
k
200 km.
	
The	 warm	 region	 centered	 at	 roughly	 381 N	 and	 67.5°W is	 the GulfI
f^.
	
3
Stream.
	
Relatively cold	 surface water (22°C)	 is found at the center of the
ring.	 The warmest water (240 C) in the ring is located to the southeast of the
center.
	 Strong	 surface	 temperature	 gradients	 are	 noted	 in the	 ring	 to the
north, east, and south,
	 The weakest gradient is on the western side.
Probably
	
the	 mo st 	 distinct	 feature	 in tiro analy sis associated with the
wa rm ring is	 the narrow,	 Cold tongue which has its origin on the eastern side
of the warm ring and which extends through the southern portion of the ring.
The temperature in the cold tongue is as low as 19°C. 	 There appears to be an
extension of this cold tongue made up of isolated cold lenses, having a tem-
perature of 23 00 which appeared to spiral around the ring in an anticlyclonic
manner, converging to the center of the ring and the mass of cold surface
water in that region. Immediately south of the cold tongue, is a narrow warm
zone having surface water temperatures greater than 23°C with lenses imbedded
in this area having temperatures as large as 24 1C. The width of the warm zone
is approximately 15 km. Another interesting feature in the analysis is the
rather sharp angles made by the 22° isotherm south of the cold tongue and tare
18° isotherm inside the cold tongue. Maintenance of these features could
suggest either the absence of horizontal mixing at the surface or the defini-
tion of a zone characterized by differences in vertical mixing. However,
since the analysis is an instantaneous picture of the sea-surface temperature
13j
sg
14
L pAGr 1S
of p OR
Figure 9. HCMM sea-surface (°C) temperature analysis in a warm ring.
14
distribution associated with the warm ring, it is not clear how long this
a'	 isotherm configuration is maintained. 	 it
5.0 Discussion of Results 	 i}
Though this study is limited in scale, the results indicate that HCMM
sea—surface temperature data can provide rather accurate representation of the
sea-surface temperature and detailed sea-surface temperature patterns. The
analyses in the Nantucket Shoals region provide a quantitative information on
n
the effect of heating in the cold lens and in the surrounding water mass over
the period of interest, and on water movements in the Nantucket Sound and in
i
I	 the region south of Nantucket Island. They also provided information on the
f 	 4
structure of the surface temperature in a warm ring. The analysis in the warm
ring suggested that cold water, which has its origin from a cold tongue
located to the south of the center of the ring, spirals in an anticyclonic
manner around the ring and converges to the center of the ring. The source of
the cold water to the south of the center of ring may be through upwelling or
through advection of cold slope water north of the ring around the ring to the
southern part of the ring.
15


Marine applications of HCMM satellite data

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