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Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer and Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) data were used to derive images of sea surface temperature and phytoplankton pigment images. Observations were made in coastal waters off the Northwestern United States from 1979-1985 and showed that orientation, shape, intensity and relative temperature of the plume varied in response to coastal winds and wind-driven surface currents. CZCS images illustrating changes in the river plume during spring transition in 1982, changes due to reversal of the summer prevailing winds, during a strong summer upwelling, and during peak river flow in the early summer are presented and analyzed. It is noted that remote sensing of the Columbia River plume provides information for oceanographic studies and fisheries management in the region.

Satellite techniques for measurement of sea surface temperature (SST) are reviewed briefly, and a discussion of satellite SST applications and recent research in oceanography is provided. These applications include the areas of climate, mesoscale oceanography, and fisheries. Examples given focus mainly on the Pacific and California Current regions. Satellite SST data are currently used operationally for fisheries applications and, in conjunction with in situ data, are providing new insights into mesoscale oceanographic phenomena. Requirements for sensor precision and calibration accuracy are more stringent in air-sea interaction studies and climate research, thus satellite data have gained only qualified acceptance for these applications. Improvements in future satellite instruments, more comprehensive in situ sensor deployments, and better data management procedures should eventually satisfy most oceanography and climate SST requirements.