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Tropical Pacific Drifting Buoys
Rick Lumpkin / Mayra Pazos, AOML, Miami
NOVEMBER 2007
During November 2007, 311 satellite-tracked surface drifting buoys, 77% with subsurface drogues
attached for measuring mixed layer currents, were reporting from the tropical Pacific. Strong
current anomalies were associated with well-developed instability waves on both sides of the
equato. Elsewhere, currents were near their climatological November strengths. Cold anomalies
of -0.5 to -3.0 C were measured by most drifters east of 130W and south of the equator, as seen
last month, with the largest anomalies east of 110W. Cold anomalies were also seen in the northern
TIW train, associated with advection of upwelled equatorial water. Also as seen in October, warm
anomalies were common west of about 160W. These anomalies were less dramatic than last month
(when they were mostly west of 180), with most observations +0.5 to +1.5C warmer than climatology.

FIGURE A1.1
a) Top: Movements of drifting buoys in the tropical Pacific Ocean.
The linear segments of each trajectory represent a one week displacement.
Trajectories of buoys which have lost their subsurface drogues are gray; those with
drogues are blue.
b) Middle: Monthly mean currents calculated from all buoys 1993-2002 (gray),
and currents measured by the drogued buoys this month (black) smoothed by an
optimal filter.
c) Bottom: Anomalies from the climatological monthly mean currents for this month.
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