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Articles

1977: Vol. LIV, No. 2

Measuring the Surface Thermal Structure of the Sea off Brittany by Ship and Aircraft

Submitted
August 7, 2015
Published
2015-07-09

Abstract

During the months of September and October 1975 the “Laboratoire d ’Océanographie Physique de l’Université de Bretagne Occidentale” (LOP) and the “Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique du C.N.R.S.” (LMD) made a joint study of surface temperatures and their variability over the continental plateau off the westernmost point of Brittany. Between 18 September and 28 October scientists from the LOP made several trips aboard the oceanographic vessel Capricorne operating a sonde for in-situ T.S.D. measurements. The LMD utilized an Aries radiometer which they themselves had designed and perfected. This was installed aboard a DC-3 aircraft that also carried pressure, humidity and temperature sensors. Our two objectives were as follows : 1. To compare the results obtained by two different techniques; 2. To obtain details of certain aspects of the microstructure of the sea surface, in particular over a frontal region. This paper thus proposes : a) To compare the results of the bathysonde measurements carried out by the LOP on Capricorne with those of a team from the “ Centre Océanologique de Bretagne" (COB) embarked in the oceanographic vessel Cry os from 16 to 29 September 1975. b) To present charts derived from radiometric measurements and to compare these charts with previous ones. c) To present aspects of the fine thermal structure at the surface from a certain number of radial passes with the DC-3.