Abstract
A global approach to investigation of the large-scale oceanic frontal zones (OFZ), i.e. consider
ation of OFZ as a part of single interconnected global ocean-atmosphere system and coherent
analysis of the variability and frontogenesis over the whole World ocean, is presented. Global
satellite sea surface temperature (SST) data for the period of 1982-97, global satellite phytoplankton
pigment concentration measurements for 1978-86 and estimates of the surface forcing due to
wind stress and net heat flux are used to investigate a global monthly climatology of large-scale
oceanic frontal zones, the variability of SST gradient in several frontal zones, the large-scale me
ridional frontogenesis in the North Pacific and some features of spatio-temporal variability of
pigment concentration.
