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The Data Management Team is located on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus.

See information provided by the Anchorage Outreach team at www.aoos.org

Precipitation

Precipitation comes in two different forms: rain and snow. From the oceanographic point of view, precipitation is an important factor: it introduces freshwater into the surface layer of the ocean. Ocean water is usually salty which makes a gallon of ocean water heavier than a gallon of freshwater. Rain on the ocean reduces the density of the surface. Rain makes the ocean surface layer lighter than those below it.

Regions like the equator that get a lot of rain (and the latitudes from Washington State to southeast Alaska) have noticeable lower salinity in the ocean.

Precipitation has a bigger job than watering the garden; it has important effects on the global ocean and atmospheric circulation.

The Alaska Ocean Observing System is building a network of observation platforms and forecast models. The goal of this network is to provide information products and tools to improve our understanding of Alaska’s ocean ecosystem and allow us to make better decisions about our use of the marine environment.

AOOS is affiliated with the Integrated Ocean Observing System and the
University of Alaska Fairbanks School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences.
UAF is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and educational institution.

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