Interpreting Time Series and Vertical Profiles

Maps show you the ocean across space. This lecture adds the two dimensions a map can’t show: time and depth.

First, time series – how a single variable changes at a fixed location over time. You’ll see how one chart can hold a long-term trend, a seasonal cycle, short-term variability, and extreme events all at once, and how to tell these apart – especially the crucial difference between a lasting trend and short-term fluctuation.

Then, vertical profiles – how ocean properties change with depth. You’ll meet the features that structure the water column, such as the mixed layer and the thermocline, and see why two places with the same surface temperature can be completely different underneath.

The reading that follows works through real examples of each, so keep the guiding questions in mind: for a time series, when is it changing? – and for a profile, what is happening with depth?