AR15 Andres "PEACH"

Ship

Cruise Party

Departure: Apr 15, 2017

Arrival: Apr 29, 2017

Operations Area

Science Objectives

The PEACH project will identify the processes that control the exchange of waters between the shelves along the eastern seaboard of the US (Middle Atlantic Bight and Southern Atlantic Bight) and the open ocean. The processes will be investigated to determine the dominant forcing mechanisms (e.g., Gulf Stream, atmosphere, buoyancy). The understanding of shelf-deep ocean exchange gained through PEACH will be applicable to other regions where shelf and basin-scale currents converge. The detailed examination of shelf response made possible by the sampling scheme, the dynamical understanding achieved by a coupled observation-model exploration of dynamics, and the simulation skill developed over the wide seasonal and interannual variation in forcing will transform our capacity to anticipate the response of the coastal ocean to forecasted climatic evolution of forcing in the coming decades. 

Science Activities

During the transit from Woods Hole to the study-site (off Cape Hatteras):

-       Steam along the 200-m isobath with the shipboard ADCP logging velocity data.

-       Deploy ~12 XBTs (while underway)

-       Deploy one glider (in daylight roughly at 38Ëš 20.2´ N near the latitude of Ocean City, MD)

-       Deploy 4-8 Argo floats (some during transit, moving offshore to waters > 2000 m depth; others to be deployed at the study-site)

At the study-site (exact order of operations is strongly weather dependent) deploy moorings and conduct a CTD cast at each site.

-       Deploy 2 met-moorings (at sites B1 and B2) in 30 m of water. After each deployment, a small boat will be required so the techs can climb on the mooring to re-connect the battery and set the antenna.

-       Deploy 9 ADCP moorings (at sites B1, B2, A1-A4, A6-A8) in water depths ranging from 30 m to 200 m. These will have to be lowered carefully to the correct depth (particularly those on the steep slope).

-       Deploy 7 PIESs bottom landers (at sites P1-P7) in water depths ranging from 900 m to 4000 m.  This will require use of the through-hull transducer to communicate with the instruments during deployment as the instrument is falling through the water column to the sea bed. Conduct a full-water-column CTD cast at each site (deepest cast ~4000 m).

-       Conduct a bathymetric survey near 35ËšN

-       Conduct high-horizontal resolution CTD transects across features of interest to be determined real-time via satellite info from SSH and SST (i.e. eddies, shelfbreak front).  This may extend into the transit home.

During the transit from the study-site home to Woods Hole

-       complete any CTD feature transects

-       Run the EK80 while underway

Additional Info

Stations:

Supporting documentation:

Shipboard Equipment

Shipboard Communication

CTD/Water Sampling

Critical CTD Sensors

MET Sensors

Navigation

Navigation

Standard Oceanographic Cables

Specialized Deck Equipment

Over the Side Equipment

Special Requirements

Additional Cruise Items/Activities

Hazardous Material

Radioactive Material

Additional Information

Checklist

Checklist