Dynamic-stochastic analysis of satellite oceanographic measurements

An approach is proposed for analysis and interpretation of satellite measurements of oceanographic fields (sea surface temperature, turbidity, chlorophyll concentration, and altimetry data) herein referred to as "dynamic-stochastic analysis." This approach consists in (1) representing spatiotemporal variability of measured characteristics as a partial differential equation which satisfies the basic conservation lows and which is solved for the rate of change of this characteristic; (2) interpretation of this differential equation as a multiple regression equation, where the rate of characteristic change is the predictand and all other spatial and spatiotemporal derivatives are predictors, and (3) estimation of the regression coefficients of this equation and their physical interpretation. This analysis was applied to satellite altimetry measurements and measurements of primary production in the Sea of Japan and White Sea. The results are considered in this paper.