Abstract:
Several series of measurements of the hydrography, currents,
and winds during the past ten years are used as a basis for an overview
of the physical oceanography and meteorology during the
upwelling season near Newport, Oregon. Data are described using
elementary statistics, progressive vector diagrams, coordinate system
independent spectra, and complex demodulation.
The resulting description strengthens and extends the conceptual
model of coastal upwelling. Averages of various series of data are
calculated with the aim of making the collected information more
readily available and giving perspective to specific data.
The time series analysis indicates which bands of frequencies
contain important portions of the coherent energy. Complex demodulation
is used to show how the energy in selected frequency bands is
distributed as a function of time.
It is concluded that the long-term seasonal average of the winds
and the hydrography behaves smoothly, but the short-term fluctuations
around the average are important. The relationships between the
short-term variations in the current and hydrography are as yet
unclear, but directions are indicated for further analysis and experimentation.
