Results from the Test Deployments of the Coastal Ocean Lagrangian (COOL) Float.

Abstract

The goal of this project is to develop a truly three-dimensional Lagrangian follower of water parcels for the coastal ocean. This COastal Ocean Lagrangian (COOL) float is based on an isopycnal float which would follow fluid parcels on a constant density surface. However, in the coastal ocean, there is significant mixing occurring such that a water parcel can change its density over a relatively short time. To account for this effect, we have designed a float which measures vertical (diapycnal, if the float is isopycnal) velocity past it. The COOL float has the capability to change its volume, hence its density, and follow the water parcel. -- We have completed two short cruises to test the COOL float. The first one (July 1997) was just off the continental shelf south of Rhode Island. We did six deployments of the COOL float using a variety of vane angles and either at an isobaric or isopycnal float. During August 1997, we completed two deployments of an isopycnal COOL float off the coast of Oregon in an attempt to look at water that might be upwellinq there.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 01, 1997
Accession Number
ADA331390

Entities

People

  • . Tom Rossby
  • Dave Hebert
  • Jim Fontaine
  • Mark Prater

Organizations

  • University of Rhode Island

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Bottom Bounce
  • Calibration
  • Climate Change
  • Continental Shelves
  • Deployment
  • Flow
  • Internal Waves
  • Military Research
  • Oceans
  • Rhode Island
  • Rotation
  • Temperature Gradients
  • Three Dimensional
  • United States
  • United States Government
  • Universities

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Modeling, Data Assimilation, and Flux Boundary Layers
  • Oceanography.