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The seasonal variation of the temperature and salinity of the surface waters of the British Columbia coast

University of British Columbia

For a number of years daily observations of surface temperature and salinity have been taken at ooeanographic stations (mostly lighthouses) on the B. C. coast. The present thesis is the first attempt that has been made to systematically analyse this data. The annual variation in temperature was seen to follow the general climatological trend of the B. C. coast at each of the stations, although a wide range in the amplitudes of these periodic variations was noted. The factors influencing the amplitude of the annual temperature curves were considered and such effects as incoming radiation, the extent of turbulence, the degree of shelter and the phenomena of upwelling due to horizontal wind stress (West Coast of Vancouver Island) have been discussed for each of the stations. Correlations were made between available meteorological information and the sea temperature observations and an attempt has been made to determine temperature contours of the B. C. coastal waters during the summer when the surface temperature is least uniform. The salinity observations were treated in an analogous manner to temperature and found to exhibit characteristic periodic annual variations. The stations were classified by means of these variations and the influences of precipitation and fresh water runoff, evaporation and mixing were discussed and correlations with meteorological observations were again made.

Text

2012-03-14

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/41412

Physics

University of British Columbia

Graduate