Description of a heat and salt flux dataset associated with sea-ice
production and melting in the Sea of Okhotsk:

The dataset is based on a heat budget analysis using ice
concentration, thickness, and drift speed from satellite observations
(AMSR-E) and the ERA-interim data.

The method to create the dataset is described in
Nihashi, S., K. I. Ohshima, and N. Kimura, 2012: Creation of 
a heat and salt flux dataset associated with sea ice production 
and melting in the Sea of Okhotsk. Journal of Climate, 25(7), 
2261-2278, doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-11-00022.1.

Please be sure to refer the above paper when you publish paper, 
report, and document using the dataset. 

Currently, monthly mean data is archived at
"http://wwwod.lowtem.hokudai.ac.jp/polar-seaflux/okhotsk/POLAR/". 
The dataset is provided by 4-byte binary file,
and can be easily visualized by GrADS (http://www.iges.org/grads/)
using ".ctl" file such as "hb-sf.okh.m.ctl" in
"http://wwwod.lowtem.hokudai.ac.jp/polar-seaflux/okhotsk/POLAR/". 
Parameters of the dataset is also indicated in the ".ctl" file.

For detail information on the above data set, please contact:


Sohey Nihashi
-------------------
E-mail:  sohey@tomakomai-ct.ac.jp
Phone/FAX:  +81-144-67-8007

Postal Address:
Tomakomai National College of Technology
443 Nishikioka, Tomakomai 059-1275, Japan


Kay I. Ohshima
---------------
E-mail: ohshima@lowtem.hokudai.ac.jp
Phone: +81-11-706-5481
FAX: +81-11-706-7362

Postal Address:
Institute of Low Temperature Science,
Hokkaido University,
Kita-19, Nishi-8, Kita-ku, 
Sapporo 060-0819, Japan


UPDATED: 27 March 2017