AbstractsGeography &GIS

The relationship between sea level and wind stress in a region of known upwelling was studied for an eleven-month period during 1933-34. Sea level data, obtained from observations taken by the Coast and Geodetic Survey, were processed to remove astronomic tidal constituents and inverted barometer effect. Regression analysis was used to establish the relationship between the resultant daily mean sea levels and the north and east components of wind stress. Sea level and wind stress were significantly related. The highest correlation for sea level of a given day was with the north component of wind stress summed over the given day and the three days preceding. Sea level was next most highly correlated with the east component of wind stress summed over the given day and the two days preceding. The sea level-wind stress relationship is consistent with what is known about upwelling along the Oregon coast, The relationship between sea level and rainfall was also examined. Sea level and rainfall were significantly associated, but not in such a marked fashion as were sea level and wind stress. The rainfall effect may be due both to local addition of mass and to augmentation of wind stress by heavy rain.