Why are long records of marine wind important?
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To better understand variations
of climate in the past:
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Winds indicate the state of the atmosphere
through time and reveal variations of weather and climate
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Winds drive ocean currents:
by direct mechanical forcing ("wind-driven
ocean circulation")
by altering fluxes of heat and
moisture at the sea surface ( "density-driven ocean circulation")
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Winds affect air-sea exchange of greenhouse
gases, heat, and moisture
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Winds contribute to variations in the
distribution of and quantity of sea ice
To better understand the possible
range of future climate:
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Reliable observations are needed to
test and improve global climate models
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Reliable observations are needed to
initialize models for "forecast" experiments
