Methodology
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To accomplish the objectives a substantial array of instruments to measure conductivity, temperature, pressure and currents will be deployed for one year along Jason track 26 in 2014. Instruments will be recovered, re-calibrated on-board and re-deployed along a zonal section at 44.7°S in 2015. The MC flow is thought to follow the same potential vorticity contours along the shelf-break (Saraceno et al., 2004; Franco et al., 2008, Piola et al., 2010). Instruments at the shelf-break along each of the sections will be located at the same depth. Despite measurements at the moorings will be done at different times, the merging of all the data collected with altimetry measurements will allow the comparison of the MC at different latitudes and to study the relationship between MC and PCS dynamics.
| Cruises to deploy the instruments are planned on November 2014 and end of 2015 onboard R/V Puerto Deseado (CONICET-SHN, Argentina). Final recovery of the instruments is planned on the end of 2016. R/V Puerto Deseado (CONICET-SHN, Argentina) is a 76m long oceanographic vessel with capacity for up to 24 scientific staff and dedicated laboratories. The vessel has already been used to deploy and recover current meter moorings used to monitor the MC under Jason track 26 in a similar cooperation during years 1993-1995 and 2001-2003. Results of the measurements obtained are described in Vivier and Provost (1999a) and Spadone and Provost (2009). In the following sub-section we further discuss and justify the location of the instruments. |
