Example of time series and probability density functions (pdfs). (a) Eastward wind speed (m/sec) from an ocean buoy in Santa Monica Basin. (b) pdf of eastward wind velocity. (c) pdf of northward wind velocity. (d) pdf of wind speed. (Constructed from Gille, 2005).

(a) Time series of temperature at Fanning Island (Pacific Ocean) from the NCAR Community Ocean Model. (b) Autocorrelation normalized to a maximum value of 1 (biased estimate with averages divided by N).(c and d) Autocorrelation (unbiased estimate with averages divided by N−n). Source: From Gille (2005).

Example of time series with confidence intervals. Global ocean heat content (10²² J) for the 0 to 700 m layer, based on Levitus et al. (2005a; black curve), Ishii et al. (2006; full record gray curve and larger error bar), and Willis et al. (2004; darker gray after 1993 and shorter error bar). Shading and error bars denote the 90% confidence interval. Compare with Figure S15.15 seen on the textbook Web site from Domingues et al. (2008) which uses improved observations. Source: From the IPCC AR4, Bindoff et al., 2007; Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Working Group I Contribution to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Figure 5.1. Cambridge University Press.

Different types of surfaces for mapping. The Mediterranean Water salinity maximum illustrated using: (a) a standard depth surface (1200 m); (b) an isopycnal surface (potential density σ₁ = 32.2 kg/m³ relative to 1000 dbar, σ_θ ~ 26.62 kg/m³ relative to 0 dbar, and neutral density ~ 26.76 kg/m³); (c) at the salinity maximum of the Mediterranean Water and North Atlantic Deep Water (white areas are where there is no deep salinity maximum); and (d) data locations used to construct these maps. This figure can also be found in the color insert.

Objective mapping of velocity data, combining density and ADCP velocity measurements. California Current: absolute surface streamfunction and velocity vectors in April, 1999, using the method from Chereskin and Trunnell (1996). This figure can also be found in the color insert. Source: From Calcofi ADCP (2008).

Examples of time series plots: (a) property/time, (b) time series of profiles, (c) current speed and direction, and (d) stick diagram for data of (c).

Example of time series, spectra, and spectral confidence intervals. (a) Velocity (cm/sec) stick plot, lowpassed at 100 hours, from 5 deep current meters at different depths on one mooring in the Deep Western Boundary Current in Samoan Passage (see Figure 10.16). The vertical direction is along the passage axis. (b) Spectra from the same current meters, offset by one decade. The 95% confidence intervals are shown at the bottom. Source: From Rudnick (1997).

Example of a time series, spectrum, and spectral aliasing. (a) Tide record at Victoria, British Columbia (July 29 to September 27, 1975). The heavy dots are a once per day subsampling of the record. (b) Power spectrum of the complete tidal record (dashed) and the subsampled record (solid), showing how the diurnal and semi-diurnal tidal energy are aliased to periods of 10 days and longer. Source: From Emery and Thompson (2001).

Lowpass filtering by averaging the time series: Southern Annular Mode monthly index from the NCEP Climate Prediction Center (thin black) with 1- and 5-year running means (mid-weight and heavy, respectively), with uniform weighting. Data from Climate Prediction Center Internet Team (2006). Source: From Roemmich et al. (2007).

Examples of frequency-wavenumber spectra. (a) Equatorial waves (Kelvin and Rossby) from SSH anomalies, compared with theoretical dispersion relations (curves). Figure 6.10a can also be found in the color insert. Source: From Shinoda et al. (2009).

(b) Surface gravity waves: observed two-dimensional spectrum (∗) averaged over wavenumber at each frequency, and compared with several theoretical dispersion relations. Source: From Herbers et al. (2002).

Example of empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs): the eight principal EOFs describing the sea surface temperature anomalies. ©American Meteorological Society. Reprinted with permission. Source: From Davis (1976).

The cumulative fraction of total sea surface temperature (circles, o) and sea level pressure (triangles, Δ) anomaly variance accounted for by the first M empirical orthogonal functions. ©American Meteorological Society. Reprinted with permission. Source: From Davis (1976).

Illustration of a climatology: Salinity at 500 m. (a) Climatological annual mean, (b) data distribution, (c) standard deviation, and (d) standard error. Many other properties and depths are also available online (NODC, 2005a). Source: From Antonov et al. (2006).

Example of a potential temperature (θ)-salinity diagram. (a) Schematic showing three water types and their mixing products. (b) θ-S diagram from the central North Atlantic with water masses labeled, illustrating how mixing connects the extrema. The contoured field on the diagrams is the density σ_t since this figure is reproduced from an earlier version of this text, although as indicated in Chapter 3, it is advisable to use a potential density parameter.

Example of property-property plots for a variety of different properties, for the Japan/East Sea. Source: From Talley et al. (2004).

Temperature-salinity-time (T-S-t) diagrams for shallow lagoon waters inside the Great Barrier Reef. Source: From Pickard (1977).

Example of optimum multiparameter (OMP) water mass analysis. Southwestern Atlantic about 36°S, showing the fraction of three different water masses. Antarctic Intermediate Water, AAIW; Upper Circumpolar Deep Water, UCDW; and Weddell Sea Deep Water, WSDW. This figure can also be found in the color insert. Source: From Maamaatuaiahutapu et al. (1992).