Wind-Driven Response of Ocean Surface Infrared Signals

Abstract

In the course of archiving positions of the edge of the Loop Current from satellite infrared (IR) data, we have found a substantial amount of energy at periods in the ?wind-driven band.? Using a technique patterned after that of Price et al., we constructed a series of new datasets of IR positions at a variety of angles relative to the daily wind. Using data for a period of November?May, we find that the IR fluctuations are coherent with wind, and are at an angle of 80° to the right. Our IR data do not resolve periods shorter than ?10 days realiably, but motions of ?12?16 days are well resolved. These findings show that the wind-coherent motion of the surface IR signal is associated with the Ekman transport of the upper mixed layer.