Tropical Pacific Drifting Buoys
D V. Hansen/AOML(CIMAS), Miami
202 drifting buoys, of which 75% had confirmed drogues for measurement of currents were reporting from the
tropical Pacific during January, 1999. These buoys indicated that the SEC, NECC, and NEC all are at strength.
No evidence is seen of tropical instability waves, but their habitat was poorly observed. Much of the tropical
band has SSTA near -1C, and SSTA near +1C was reported from the far western Pacific and south of about 15
degrees in the central Pacific.
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The linear segments of each trajectory represent a two week displacement.
Red paths show buoys drogued to 15-m depth; blue paths show undrogued buoys.