International Pacific Research Center
               Asia-Pacific Data-Research Center

       Pacific Ocean Science and Technology Bldg., Room 401
       1680 East-West Road
       University of Hawaii
       Honolulu, Hawaii 96822



1.  SUMMARY

The data were interpolated in space using Variational Interpolation
algorithm. The principle of the Variational Interpolation technique
is to minimize the misfit between the interpolated fields defined on
a regular grid and the irregularly distributed data, so the optimal
solution passes as close to the data as possible.

Gridded field description - Global gridded ASCII and NetCDF dataset produced
by Variational Interpolation from Argo only profiles.

Mixed Layer Depth (MLD) is the depth, on which density increases from
10m to the value equivalent to the temperature drop of 0.2°C.

Isothermal Layer Depth (ILD) is the depth, on which temperature departs
from its 10-m value by 0.2°C.

Top of the Thermocline Depth (TTD) is the depth, on which temperature
decreases from its 10-m value by 0.2°C. TTD may differ from ILD if there is
temperature inversion below 10m level.

Temperature Inversion Depth (TID) is the depth of temperature maximum,
if the latter exceeds the 10-m value by at least 0.2°C.



Data Source - Argo profiles

Spatial resolution - 1 degree global

Temporal coverage - since 2005-01-01

Temporal resolution - monthly


2.  FORMAT

The MLa.dat-?????? ASCII data files structure is:

Missing/Fill value = -999.0

 1. Longitude
 2. Latitude
 3. Mixed Layer Depth (MLD), meters
 4. anomaly relative to annual mean Mixed Layer Depth, meters
 5. anomaly relative to annual mean Mixed Layer Depth, meters
 6. Isothermal Layer Depth (ILD), meters
 7. anomaly relative to annual mean Isothermal Layer Depth, meters
 8. anomaly relative to annual mean Isothermal Layer Depth, meters
 9. Top of the Thermocline Depth (TTD), meters
10. anomaly relative to annual mean Top of the Thermocline Depth, meters
11. anomaly relative to annual mean Top of the Thermocline Depth, meters
12. Barrier Layer (>0) or Compensated Layer (<0) Thickness (BLT=TTD-MLD), meters
13. anomaly relative to annual mean Barrier Layer (>0) or Compensated Layer (<0) Thickness, meters
14. anomaly relative to annual mean Barrier Layer (>0) or Compensated Layer (<0) Thickness, meters
15. Temperature Inversion Depth (TID), meters
16. anomaly relative to annual mean Temperature Inversion Depth, meters
17. anomaly relative to annual mean Temperature Inversion Depth, meters
18. Mixed Layer Temperature (MLT), degC
19. anomaly relative to annual mean Mixed Layer Temperature, degC
20. anomaly relative to annual mean Mixed Layer Temperature, degC
21. Mixed Layer Salinity (MLS), PSU
22. anomaly relative to annual mean Mixed Layer Salinity, PSU
23. anomaly relative to annual mean Mixed Layer Salinity, PSU