Deborah LeBEL

University of Washington

My current research provides estimates of the absolute velocity field of the subtropical gyre of the North Pacific west of the dateline. Approximately one hundred RAFOS floats were deployed at a nominal pressure of 1000 dbar, in lines along 145°E, 165°E, 180°, and 30°N. I am attempting to optimally map the resulting two year ensemble-averaged velocity vectors. Although it is often neglected in objective analysis, I have included the anisotropy of the large scale velocity field in order to obtain a more useful estimate.

I am also using historical hydrographic data to:

1. guide the choice of variance of the large scale dynamic height field
   
2. determine whether a gaussian correlation function is reasonable or if better results may be obtained using another correlation function
   
3. evaluate the consistency of the circulation maps with current qualitative and quantitative understanding of the circulation in this region.

My general research interests lie in the large scale general circulation, particularly in its temporal variations.

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uswoce@astra.tamu.edu