Seasonal variations in the surface temperature of sea-water at Mandapam from January 1950 to December 1954

Abstract

The information we have at present on the seasonal variations in the surface temperature of the sea-water around India, both offshore and coastal, is based mostly on short-term observations made in a few areas. There are, however, a few records of continuous long-time observations from certain regions. The data available, up to the end of the first quarter of this century, on surface temperature variations in Indian waters, both coastal and open ocean, have been incorporated in the work of Sewell (1928 and 1929) who himself has made extensive observations on the seasonal variations of surface temperatures. Some general data on the surface temperature conditions of coastal waters at restricted places along the coasts of India are also found in literature q.v., Chidambaram and Menon (1945), Bal, Pradhan and Gupte (1946), George (1953) and Ramamurthy (1953). With the exception of the observations made at Calicut by Chidambaram and Menon (1945), which cover a period of five years, 1938-1942, and by George (1953) for about three years, from November 1948 to April 1951, the others are restricted to relatively short periods. Recently Chacko, Valsan and Malu Pillai (1954) have given an account of the meteorology and hydrography, of the Kundugal Gut in the Gulf of Mannar which is approximately four and a half miles east of the place where the present observations have been made. Their observations relate to the period 1949 to 1952 Ganapati and Murthy (1954)have made observations on the temperature variations of the surface waters off Visakhapatanam Coast during October 1952 to March 1953.