Abstract:
The atmosphere and ocean were observed in the vicinity of ship station P (50 degrees N, 145 degrees W), emphasis being placed on investigating boundary layer processes. For purposes of defining the synoptic-scale environment the region approximately bounded by 30 degrees N, 60 degrees N, 180 degrees and the coast of North America can be considered the large-scale STREX area. Deployment of drifting
... buoys began around 15 October 1980, and the actual STREX field phase took place 1 November through 15 December 1980. The week of23-29 November 1980 was a partial stand-down period during which the OCEANOGRAPHER was off-station and no aircraft missions were scheduled. STREX was an international effort shared by the United States and Canada, the lead agencies being the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Canadian Atmospheric Environment Service. A wide array of groups and individuals from both governmental and academic research organization sparticipated. The principal goals of STREX were to determine the effects of structure and processes of the boundary layers of the ocean and atmosphere on the behavior of North Pacific storms and the effects of such storms on the boundary layers. An extended, multi-faceted program of research is in progress, employing the data to better define the physical processes at work in the storm-related environment. Included will be analysis of the effect of boundary layer processes on the performance of numerical models. Parameters included in these data are: surface, boundary layer, and upper level winds, temperature, and dewpoint; geopotential heights; surface pressure; turbulence; and surface and sub-surface winds, temperature, and currents. 
