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Recent altimetric investigations have revealed a number of interesting time-dependent phenomena which are in need of a more complete observational and dynamical description (Chelton and Schlax, 1996). As part of a study which will combine TOPEX altimetry with other observational data (hydrography, tide gauge data, reanalyzed surface wind fields and scatterometer data) and several analytical and numerical models to better understand these transient signals, an effort is underway to produce a database of all the available (historical and WOCE) data in the North Pacific. This climatology will be produced in the Hydrobase format (Curry, 1996) which has already been made available for North Atlantic data. The North Pacific Hydrobase will include historical data beginning with the archived NODC hydrography, newer WOCE data as it becomes available, as well as, data form other sources. The quality control technique will be the same as that used in the North Atlantic and by using the Hydrobase software to access the data base the problems associated with averaging on depth or pressure surfaces (Lozier, McCartney and Owens, 1994) will be avoided. The resulting hydrographic database will be used both to validate the altimetric observations of the large scale circulation and to extend the vertical field of study through the upper 1000 m of the water column. Although resolution will be coarse, it is hoped that enough information will be available to create a hydrographic time-history of the North Pacific.
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