Utilizing two 10-m discus buoys, we have developed an integrated observing system for the coastal ocean. The platforms are capable of supporting a variety of instrumentation to measure air-sea fluxes, waves, upper ocean structure and the atmospheric boundary layer. This system, and data from other NOAA National Data Center Buoys, has been used to investigate the response of the coastal ocean and atmosphere to the 1997/1998 El Nino. Based on the cumulative heat energy input from the ocean to atmosphere between January and March 1998, this El Nino is one of the strongest on record.
In this paper the Observatory is described and the application to regional ENSO effects is discussed. Access to data is immediate and available via the web. This real-time capability is achieved using very low power, spread spectrum radio modems that are capable of a maximum baud rate of 114Kbaud. The Web permits universal access without the user requiring dedicated software. Data are routinely interrogated for operational Navy needs as well as by the public concerned with boater safety and general oceanographic and atmospheric conditions off the West Coast of the US.
Hitherto there have been few, if any, dedicated measurements of air-sea interactions during a major ENSO event. The results demonstrate the importance of long time series measurements and the utility of real-time access to information.