A Finescale Lagrangian Instrument System
Abstract
A new deployment scheme for the Moored Profiler instrument in which the vehicle cycles along a freely-drifting tether was designed and field tested. The goal of the drifting tether system is to acquire finescale temporal information that is less contaminated by Doppler shifting by the large-scale background flow than is achievable from conventional, bottom-anchored moorings. An initial trial of the concept targeting the upper ocean was carried out off Bermuda in November 2001 with an instrument profiling between 12 and 28O-m depth. The result- ant temperature and salinity data were of good quality and clearly documented diurnal stratification changes at the surface. Individual velocity profile data exhibited significant "noise" in the upper 75 m due to surface wave motions; at greater depth this noise was greatly reduced. And despite the wave noise, inertial oscillations in the surface mixed layer were clearly evident after modest temporal and depth filtering. Based on this successful trial, plans have been made to use the instrument system in an upcoming study of deep winter convection and Eighteen Degree Water formation.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 20, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA412176
Entities
People
- John M. Toole
Organizations
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution