Patent ID: 7818280

Claim:
A depth distribution prediction method implemented on a computer for a predetermined water temperature, comprising: determining a depth h from the sea surface to a water zone of a predetermined water temperature and respective densities ρ 1 and ρ 2 of upper and lower layers above and below the water zone, based on observation data including water temperature, salinity, and water depth measured at numerous observation spots in a target sea area; calculating a relative density coefficient ε=(ρ 2 −ρ 1 )/ρ 2 and ε×h for each observation spot and obtaining an absolute dynamic topography η 1 at each observation spot based on data measured by satellite; preparing a scatter diagram for every observation spot, based on an ordinate axis which represents the obtained absolute dynamic topography η 1 and an abscissa axis which represents ε×h, and determining the slope α and the intercept β from a linear regression equation, η 1 =α(ε×h)+β; calculating a relative density coefficient ε′ for each of many spots in the target sea area, based on historical data for water temperature, salinity, and water depth, and obtaining an absolute dynamic topography η 2 at each of the many spots based on data measured by satellite; and determining, for the absolute dynamic topography η 2 thus obtained, a depth h′ of a water zone of a predetermined water temperature at each of the many spots, based on an equation, η 2 =α(ε′×h′)+β, thereby obtaining a depth distribution of the predetermined water temperature in the entire target sea area.