Definitions

We have supplied these definitions in an effort to help our visitors gain clarity concerning some of our technical terminology. We hope you find this helpful. Please do not hesitate to contact us with feedback or suggestions.

General Terms

CCMP: Cross-Calibrated Multi-Platform ocean surface wind product (read about how we use this project here in our algorithm description)

event: A "wind event" or "SST event" is the term we use for a single episode of high winds or SST cooling. The wind and SST events can last anywhere from hours to days

gap wind: The flow of air at high speed through breaks in mountainous terrain

OISST: a microwave product from Remote Sensing Systems (read about how we use this project here in our algorithm description)

SST Parameters used by RASI

Legend:

• Red = this parameter is only available for records that are part of an event
• Green = for a description of the referenced area, refer to the map in this document.
• Violet = "grid cells" refers to the 16 grid cells in the SSTArea that have the lowest SST values in the area of an SST event

SST Event Flag: Indicates whether an SST event exist for this record (1) exists, or (0) does not exist.

SST Latitude: The latitude for the center of the grid cells, measured in degrees.

SST Longitude: The longitude for the center of the identified grid cells, measured in degrees.

SST Maximum for SSTArea: The maximum SST value for the grid cells in the SSTArea, measured in degrees celsius.

SST Maximum: The maximum observed SST of the grid cells, measured in degrees celsius.

SST Mean Decrease: The mean observed event SST decrease in SSTArea, compared to previous day, measured in degrees celsius.

SST Mean of SSTArea: The mean SST value for the grid cells in the SSTArea, measured in degrees celsius.

SST Minimum for SSTArea: The minimum SST value for the grid cells in the SSTArea, measured in degrees celsius.

SST Previous Day Mean: The previous day's mean observed SST of the grid cells, measured in degrees celsius.

SST Minimum Decrease: The minimum observed SST decrease in SSTArea, compared to previous day, measured in degrees celsius.

SST Reference Difference: The difference between SSTMin and SSTReference for an SST event, measured in degrees celsius.

SST Region of Interest Size: The number of grids in the SSTArea which have an SST decrease >= minSSTth for an SST event, measured as a scalar.

SST Standard Deviation Decrease: The standard deviation of observed SST decrease in SSTArea, compared to previous day, measured in degrees celsius.

SST Standard Deviation of SSTArea: The standard deviation of SST for the grid cells in the SSTArea, measured in degrees celsius.

SST Standard Deviation: The standard deviation of observed SST for the grid cells, measured in degrees celsius.

SST maximum decrease: The maximum observed SST decrease from the previous day for an event, measured in degrees celsius.

SST mean: The mean observed SST of the grid cells, measured in degrees celsius.

SST minimum: The minimum observed SST of the grid cells, measured in degrees celsius.

SST reference: The SST at the SST reference location, measured in degrees celsius.

SST upwelling: Cold water upwelling occurs when the high speed gap winds blow the warm surface waters away from the coast and colder, deep water rises to the surface.

Wind Parameters used by RASI

Legend:

• Red = this parameter is only available for records that are part of an event
• Green = for a description of the referenced area, refer to the map in this document.
• Violet = "grid cells" refers to the 16 grid cells in the SSTArea that have the lowest SST values in the area of an SST event

Wind Center Latitude: The latitude of the center of the wind event region. Positive values are north of the equator.

Wind Center Longitude: The longitude of the center of the wind event region. Positive values are east of Greenwich.

Wind Direction Mean in Small Area: The mean observed wind direction in the small area [zero is north, increasing clockwise.

Wind Direction Mean: The mean observed wind direction in the wind event region [zero is north and increasing clockwise].

Wind Direction Standard Deviation: The standard deviation of the observed wind direction in the wind event region.

Wind Direction for Reference Location 1: The wind direction at the wind reference location 1.

Wind Direction for Reference Location 2: The wind direction at the wind reference location 2.

Wind Event Flag: Indicates whether a wind event exist for this record (1) exists, or (0) does not exist.

Wind Region of Interest Size: The size of the wind event region in number of grid.

Wind Speed Max: The maximum observed wind speed in the wind event region, measured in meters per second

Wind Speed Maximum Difference: The maximum difference between the maximum wind speed in the event region and the speeds at the two wind reference locations.

Wind Speed Maximum in Small Area: The maximum wind speed in the small area.

Wind Speed Mean in Small Area: The mean observed wind speed in the small area.

Wind Speed Mean: The mean observed wind speed in the wind event region, measured in meters per second

Wind Speed Minimum in Small Area: The minimum wind speed in the small area.

Wind Speed Standard Deviation in Small Area: The standard deviation of the observed wind speed in the small area.

Wind Speed Standard Deviation: The standard deviation of observed wind speed in the wind event region.

Wind Speed for Reference Location 1: The wind speed at the wind reference location 1.

Wind Speed for Reference Location 2: The wind speed at the wind reference location 2.

Region and Reference Location Information

This geographical information is presented as a reference that we hope will prove helpful for understanding the specifics of various parameters which you may choose to include in results when using the get or plot data tool.

Parameter name	Tehuantepec values	Papagayo values	Panama values
Small area bounding box (latitude/longitude)	(13.475°, -96.125°), (16.375°, -93.375°)	(9.215°, -87.375°), (11.125°, -85.375°)	(6.375°, -81.875°), (9.125°, -77.875°)
Large area bounding box (latitude/longitude)	(5.125°, -104.875°), (16.375°, -93.375°)	(7.125°, -93.0°), (12.125°, -85.375°)	(3.125°, -81.875°), (9.125°, -77.875°)
Wind direction range (in degrees. Zero is North; increases in clockwise direction)	[140.0°, 190.05°]	[200.0°, 260.0°]	[160.0°, 225.0°]
Wind location #1 (latitude, longitude)	(15.375°, -97.625°)	(13.875°, -91.625°)	(7.875°, -82.875°)
Wind location #2 (latitude, longitude)	(14.375°, -92.625°)	(7.875°, -82.875°)	(6.875°, -77.375°)
SST area bounding box (latitude/longitude)	(13.125°, -96.125°), (15.875°, -93.375°)	(9.125°, -88.125°), (11.125°, -85.125°)	(4.875°, -81.125°), (7.875°, -78.125°)
SST reference location (latitude, longitude)	(13.875°, -92.625°)	(12.375°, -92.125°)	(6.875°, -82.125°)

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