Aircraft Soundings, June 1996

On this page are profiles from the Coastal Waves 96 project, flown along the California coast. The map shows the location of the profile (red star) along the Coastal Waves survey region.
On the left:
Green = potential density (g/m^3)
Blue = air temperature (C)
On the right:
A vertical profile of wind vectors (m/s)

Cape Blanco,	Cape Mendicino,	Point Sur,	Point Conception,
July 01: animation, individual profiles	June 07: animation, individual profiles	June 02: animation, individual profiles	June 19: animation, individual profiles
	June 12: animation, individual profiles	June 11: animation, individual profiles	June 23: animation, individual profiles
	June 26: animation, individual profiles	June 17: animation, individual profiles	June 29: animation, individual profiles
		June 21: animation, individual profiles

How do different variables vary with each other?

In the table below are plots of 1 variable measured during the aircraft profiles vs another. For example, to see how the Froude number varies with the layer-averaged potential temperature, click on the entry under the Froude # row and Theta column. Each of the variables has a histogram and map of its outlier values. To see the one for Froude # click on that word. More information about how some of the variables were obtained is found below the table.

If the variables are correlated at a 95% significance level, the correlation coefficient is listed. The mean of all the profiles was removed before correlating (rather than the mean of individual flights).

Froude # Speed Theta Theta jump Inversion moisture/ BL moisture Wind direction wrt coastline BL height Air T - SST SST

Froude # Highest Fr for fastest winds
.83 Higest Fr for coldest BL
-.3 No Highest Fr for greatest contrast
-.34 Hightest Fr for winds alighned with coast Highest Fr for this BL Hightest Fr when air T >> sst
.44 Coldest SST has highest Fr
-.49

Speed Highest Fr for fastest winds
.83 Coldest BL is fastest
-.44 .16 Greatest contrast is faster
-.55 Fastest winds aligned with coast No Fastest when air T >> SST
.34 Coldest SST is fasetest
-.49

Theta Hightest Fr for coldest BL
-.39 Fastest for coldest BL
-.44 Greater jump for coldest BL
-.31 Greatest contrast for coldest BL
.44 .11 .11 No Warmest SST for warmest BL
.48

Theta jump No .16 Stronger inversion = colder BL
-.31 No .14 Stronger inversion =shallower BL
-.57 .12 -.2

Inversion moisture/BL moisture Stronger inversion = higher Fr
-.34 Stronger inversion = faster BL
-.55 Colder BL for stronger inversion
.44 No No -.23 No .12

Wind direction wrt coastline High Fr for winds aligned with coast Fastest winds aligned with coast .14 .11 Strongest inversion when aligned with coast -.3 No Maybe colder SST whend winds aligned

BL height -.33 No .11 Shaper inversion for shallower BL
-.57 -.23 -.3 Greatest T difference for shallowest BL
-.31 .21

Air T - SST Higest Fr for greatest T difference
.44 Fastest BL when greatest T difference
.34 No .12 No No Greatest T diff for shallowest BL
-.31 -.76

SST Higher Fr for colder SST
-.49 Faster BL for colder SST
-.49 .48 -.2 .12 Colder SST when aligned with coast Sahllower BL when colder
.21 -.76

Theta, Speed - Boundary layer averages (beneath the height of BL)
Theta jump - Change in theta between the top and bottom of the inversion layer
Inversion moisture/BL moisture - As a measure of inversion strength, this is the ratio of moisture in the inversion layer to moisture averaged over the BL. Lower values mean a greater contrast between BL and inversion.
Wind direction with respect to coastline - How aligned is the wind averaged over the layer with the nearest 50 km of coastline?
BL height - The middepth of the inversion layer
Air temperature - SST - Difference between the air temperature and SST for the lowest 15 m of the profile

The data on this page is unpublished. If it is used please cite the author Kathleen Edwards, the Center for Coastal Studies, and the Coastal Waves group at Scripps Insitution of Oceanography.

Please send comments or questions to me at kate@coast.ucsd.edu

	Froude #	Speed	Theta	Theta jump	Inversion moisture/ BL moisture	Wind direction wrt coastline	BL height	Air T - SST	SST
Froude #		Highest Fr for fastest winds .83	Higest Fr for coldest BL -.3	No	Highest Fr for greatest contrast -.34	Hightest Fr for winds alighned with coast	Highest Fr for this BL	Hightest Fr when air T >> sst .44	Coldest SST has highest Fr -.49
Speed	Highest Fr for fastest winds .83		Coldest BL is fastest -.44	.16	Greatest contrast is faster -.55	Fastest winds aligned with coast	No	Fastest when air T >> SST .34	Coldest SST is fasetest -.49
Theta	Hightest Fr for coldest BL -.39	Fastest for coldest BL -.44		Greater jump for coldest BL -.31	Greatest contrast for coldest BL .44	.11	.11	No	Warmest SST for warmest BL .48
Theta jump	No	.16	Stronger inversion = colder BL -.31		No	.14	Stronger inversion =shallower BL -.57	.12	-.2
Inversion moisture/BL moisture	Stronger inversion = higher Fr -.34	Stronger inversion = faster BL -.55	Colder BL for stronger inversion .44	No		No	-.23	No	.12
Wind direction wrt coastline	High Fr for winds aligned with coast	Fastest winds aligned with coast	.14	.11	Strongest inversion when aligned with coast		-.3	No	Maybe colder SST whend winds aligned
BL height	-.33	No	.11	Shaper inversion for shallower BL -.57	-.23	-.3		Greatest T difference for shallowest BL -.31	.21
Air T - SST	Higest Fr for greatest T difference .44	Fastest BL when greatest T difference .34	No	.12	No	No	Greatest T diff for shallowest BL -.31		-.76
SST	Higher Fr for colder SST -.49	Faster BL for colder SST -.49	.48	-.2	.12	Colder SST when aligned with coast	Sahllower BL when colder .21	-.76