Validation of Sea-Surface Temperature Data for Potential OTEC Deployment in the Mexican Pacific
Alejandro García Huante,
Yandy Rodríguez Cueto,
Ricardo Efraín Hernández Contreras,
Erika Paola Garduño Ruíz,
Miguel Ángel Alatorre Mendieta,
Rodolfo Silva
Affiliations
Alejandro García Huante
Centro Mexicano en Innovación en Energía Oceánica (CEMIE-O), Instituto de Ingeniería, Ciudad Universitaria, Building 17, Office 303, Circuito Exterior S/N, Coyoacán, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico
Yandy Rodríguez Cueto
Centro Mexicano en Innovación en Energía Oceánica (CEMIE-O), Instituto de Ingeniería, Ciudad Universitaria, Building 17, Office 303, Circuito Exterior S/N, Coyoacán, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico
Ricardo Efraín Hernández Contreras
Centro Mexicano en Innovación en Energía Oceánica (CEMIE-O), Instituto de Ingeniería, Ciudad Universitaria, Building 17, Office 303, Circuito Exterior S/N, Coyoacán, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico
Erika Paola Garduño Ruíz
Posgrado en Ingeniería Civil, Facultad de Ingeniería, Instituto de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Building 17, Office 303, Circuito Exterior S/N, Coyoacán, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico
Miguel Ángel Alatorre Mendieta
Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Circuito Exterior S/N, Coyoacán, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico
Rodolfo Silva
Instituto de Ingeniería, Instituto de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Circuito Exterior S/N, Coyoacán, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico
As the operation of an ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) plant depends on the temperature gradient between the surface and deeper water (SST), a variation in SST can significantly modify the energy produced. The aim of this paper is to present a comparative analysis of three sea-surface temperature databases (World Ocean Atlas (WOA), Satellite Oceanic Monitoring System (SATMO), and in situ sensor measurements). Simple linear regression and graphic comparisons allow correlations to be made between the distribution patterns of the SST data. The results show that there is no statistically significant difference between the three databases. To determine general regions where OTEC implementation is possible, at the macroscale, the WOA database is recommended, as a smaller amount of data must be analyzed. For meso- and microscales, such as specific areas of the Mexican exclusive economic zone. It is better to use SATMO and in situ measurements as a higher spatial resolution is required.
