Bryan S. Way

Arabian Sea mixed layer dynamics experiment mooring recovery cruise report : R/V Thomas Thompson Cruise Number 52, 14 October-25 October 1995

Abstract : An array of surface and subsurface moorings was deployed in the Arabian Sea to provide high quality time series of local forcing and upper ocean currents, temperature, and conductivity in order to investigate the dynamics of the oceans response to the monsoonal forcing characteristic of the area. The moored array was first deployed during R/V Thomas Thompson cruise number 40; recovered and redeployed during R/V Thomas Thompson cruise number 46 and recovered to conclude the deployment during R/V Thomas Thompson cruise number 52. The array was part of the Office of Naval Research (ONR) funded Arabian Sea experiment. This report describes, in a general manner, the work that took place during the R/V Thomas Thompson cruise number 52. A detailed description of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) surface mooring and its instrumentation is provided. Information about the XBT and CTD data and near surface temperature data collected during the cruise is also included.

Coastal Mixing and Optics Experiment; Mooring Deployment Cruise Report R/V Oceanus Cruise Number 284, 31 July-11 August 1996

Abstract : An array of moorings at four sites at a mid-shelf location in the mid-atlantic Bight was deployed for a period of 10 months beginning in August 1996 as part of the Coastal Mixing and Optics Experiment (CMO), funded by the Office of Naval Research (ONR). The purpose of this array is to gather information to help identify and understand the vertical mixing processes influencing the evolution of the stratification over the shelf. The observations from this moored array will be used to investigate changes in the stratification in response to atmospheric forcing, surface gravity wave variability, surface and bottom boundary layer mixing, current shear, internal waves, and advection. This report describes the primary mooring deployments carried out by the Upper Ocean Processes (UOP) Group on the R/V Oceanus, sailing out of Woods Hole during July, August, and September of 1996.

Meteorological and Oceanographic Data During the ASREX III Field Experiment: Cruise and Data Report.

Abstract : The Third Acoustic Surface Reverberation Experiment (ASREX III) took place from December 1993 to March 1994 at Site L (34 deg N, 70 deg W) in the mid-Atlantic. As part of this experiment, two moorings were deployed to measure the environmental background. A meteorological and oceanographic mooring was deployed to characterize the surface wind stress, buoyancy flux, and the current and temperature structure over the top 500 meters. A Seatex Wavescan buoy was deployed to characterize the directional wave spectrum. This report presents results from these moorings. Wind speeds up to 25 m/s were seen, with significant heat losses (up to 1050 W/ sq. m) when cold continental air moved out over the warm Atlantic. The wave heights ranged up to 8 m, with significant wave heights of several meters persisting for relatively long periods. Wave height and period, nondirectional spectra, directional spectra and a typology of wave events are presented and related to surface forcing.

TOGA COARE mooring deployment, mooring check-out and mooring recovery cruises : R/V Wecoma 7 October-1 November 1992, R/V Le Noriot 2 December-15 December 1992, R/V Wecoma 27 February-11 March 1993

Funding provided by the National Science Foundation under grants OCE-9110554 and OCE-9110559.

Pan American Climate Study (PACS) mooring deployment cruise report : R/V Roger Revelle cruise number Genesis 4, 9 April-5 May 1997

Funding was provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under Contract No. NA66GP0130.

Vector Measuring Current Meter (VMCM) upgrade

The Vector Measuring Current Meter (VMCM), developed by Drs. Robert Weller and Russ Davis and commercially produced by EG&G Sealink Systems, has proven itself over many years as the instrument of choice for accurate velocity measurements in the upper ocean, especially when used on a surface mooring. The Upper Ocean Processes (UOP) group at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is presently in the process of upgrading the existing inventory of VMCMs. This project was undertaken because the VMCM and most of its electronic components are no longer commercially available and because replacement for the Sea Data Corp., data reader and 4-track cassette reader are no longer available. The firmware control of the VMCM makes it virtually impossible to add additional sensors to the existing instruments. By upgrading the VMCM with a flexible data logger/controller, they will continue to be a viable instrument.

A compact coastal ocean observing system

The authors describe a compact, easily deployed, moored system for oceanographic and meteorological observations in the coastal ocean. The system consists of a surface and subsurface mooring pair deployed adjacent to one another. Compared to a single catenary surface mooring, this arrangement allows the entire water column to be instrumented. All of the instruments in the system log high resolution time series data. Additionally, the mooring line instruments periodically report averaged data to the buoys via inductive modems. On the subsurface mooring, this averaged data is sent to the surface buoy using an acoustic modem. Inductively coupled mooring line instrumentation includes conductivity, temperature, and pressure sensors, acoustic current meters, and optical backscattering and absorption sensors. In addition to mooring line instruments, the surface buoy collects averaged data from meteorological sensors, including wind speed and direction, barometric pressure, relative humidity, air temperature, precipitation, longwave and shortwave radiation, sea surface temperature and conductivity, and wave height and period. Data from both mooring lines and from the surface meteorological sensors is telemetered to shore via line-of-sight radio and satellite. The entire system, including buoys, moorings, instruments, launch and recovery gear, telemetry receive, and data processing facilities can be packed into a single 20 foot shipping container.

A Compact Coastal Ocean Observing System for Kernel Blitz 2001

Abstract : In this report we describe a compact, easily deployed, moored system for oceanographic and meteorological observations in the coastal ocean. The system consists of a surface and subsurface mooring pair deployed adjacent to one another. Compared to a single catenary surface mooring, this arrangement allows the entire water column to be instrumented. All of the instruments in the system log high resolution time series data. Additionally, the mooring line instruments periodically report averaged data to the buoys via inductive modems. On the subsurface mooring, this averaged data is sent to the surface buoy using an acoustic modem. Inductively coupled mooring line instrumentation includes conductivity, temperature, and pressure sensors, acoustic current meters, and optical backscattering and absorption sensors. In addition to mooring line instruments, the surface buoy collects averaged data from meteorological sensors, including wind speed and direction, barometric pressure, relative humidity, air temperature, precipitation, longwave and shortwave radiation, sea surface temperature and conductivity, and wave height and period. Data from both mooring lines and from the surface meteorological sensors is telemetered to shore via line-of-sight radio and satellite. The entire system, including buoys, moorings, instruments, launch and recovery gear, telemetry receive, and data processing facilities can be packed into a single 20 foot shipping container. The system was successfully deployed to provide environmental monitoring for Kernel Blitz 2001, a U.S. Navy fleet exercise off southern California. Results from the deployment are presented.

Pan American Climate Study (PACS) : mooring recovery cruise report, R/V Melville cruise PACS03MV, 6 September to 30 September 1998

Funding was provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under contract number NA66GPO130.

The horizontal mooring : a two-dimensional array, description of the array, components, instrumentation, deployment and recovery operations

Abstract : A moored two dimensional array with instrumentation distributed both horizontally and vertically was deployed for 27 days in August 1998 at an 85 meter deep site in Massachusetts Bay near Stellwagon basin. The horizontal mooring consisted of a 160 meter long horizontal element positioned at a depth of 20 meters between two subsurface moorings. Suspended below the horizontal member were five 25 meter long vertical strings. The vertical strings had a horizontal separation of 30 meters and each had instruments at depths of 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 meters. Instrumentation deployed on the two dimensional array included acoustic current meters, temperature sensors, conductivity measuring instruments, pressure sensors and motion monitoring packages. This report includes a detailed description of the two dimensional array, the anchoring system and the instrumentation that were deployed. Also included is a description of the deployment and recovery techniques that were employed, as well as an assessment of the performance of the array.