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BODC Cruise Metadata Report for RRS Discovery (74E3) cruise D311

Introduction

This report collates information from the BODC cruise inventory and oceanographic databases. It presents

Cruise Inventory Information

Long name RRS Discovery (74E3) cruise D311
Short name D311
Objectives and Narrative The objective of the Discovery cruise D311 was to study different aspects of the Denmark Strait overflow.

The first part of the cruise concentrated on examining the water masses at the sill and the upstream conditions in the East Greenland Current and in the Iceland Sea. Two pathways of overflow water have been discovered north of the Denmark Strait. One flows along the Greenland continental slope and involves waters from the Arctic Ocean, Fram Strait and the Greenland Sea. The other runs on the northwestern Iceland shelf and apparently carries the densest overflow water. The origin of this water mass is not yet determined. Does it derive from the Iceland Sea or does it come from farther north? To resolve this question the water mass characteristics in the East Greenland Current and in the Iceland Sea will be examined by CTD observations and water sampling, involving CFCs, H3, He3, O2, O18. In addition, attempts to recover moorings with ROV have been made. The first leg ended in Reykjavik, where exchange of scientific personnel took place.

After the exchange Discovery continued to the Greenland slope, where the VEINS and ASOF CTD sections were taken and the mooring array at Angmassalik recovered and redeployed. The purpose of these sections south of the sill in the Denmark Strait is to study the evolution, strength and variability of the overflow plume - how the different water masses from north of the sill mix on their way to the south, and how much and by what mechanisms ambient water is entrained into the overflow plume. To study these processes the CTD observations and the water sampling were complemented by turbulence measurements using a freefalling CTD and current meter probe.
Ship RRS Discovery
Departure Port Reykjavík, Iceland
Departure Date 2006-09-09
Arrival Port Reykjavík, Iceland
Arrival Date 2006-10-05
Principal Scientist(s) Detlef Quadfasel (University of Hamburg Oceanography Institute)
Responsible Organisation University of Hamburg Oceanography Institute
Associated Project(s) ASOF
IHB Sea Areas Visited North Atlantic Ocean
Marsden Squares Visited 219/220/221
Work Area Description North Atlantic Ocean, Denmark Strait
Unable to lookup cruise bounds at this time
Work Area Bounding Polygon
Southern Limit unknown
Northern Limit unknown
Western Limit unknown
Eastern Limit unknown

Cruise Inventory Datasets

Physical oceanography  
CTD stations Quantity: number of stations = 88
Description: SEABIRD CTD+ROSETTE  
CTD stations Quantity: number of stations = 9
Description: Microstructure - CTD (SEABIRD)  
Current profiler (eg ADCP) Quantity: number of stations = 50
Description: LADCP - on CTD+ROSETTE  
Current profiler (eg ADCP) Quantity: activity duration in days = 25
Description: RDI - Ship ADCP  
Surface measurements underway (T,S) Quantity: activity duration in days = 25
Description: SEABIRD - Thermosalinograph  
Water bottle stations Quantity: number of stations = 88
Description: different numbers of salinity- and oxygen (H21) - samples for calibration  
Chemical oceanography  
Other chemical oceanographic measurements Quantity: number of stations = 37
Description: CFC, He, Tritium, O18  
Meteorology  
Routine standard measurements Quantity: activity duration in days = 25
Description: Routine standard measurements  

Cruise Inventory Mooring/Buoy Operations

Latitude Longitude Data type Description
64° 40' N 23° 13' W Bottom photography ROV - Test
63° 1' N 40° 31' W Current meters ADCP recovery 23.09.2006
63° 34' N 36° 40' W Current meters F12 deployed 26.09.2006
63° 34' N 36° 39' W Current meters F12-05 recovery 22.09.2206
63° 22' N 36° 4' W Current meters G1 deployed 26.09.2006
63° 22' N 35° 4' W Current meters G1-05 recovery 22.09.2006
63° 28' N 36° 18' W Current meters UK1 deployed 26.09.2006
63° 28' N 36° 18' W Current meters UK1-05 recovery 22.09.2006
63° 16' N 35° 52' W Current meters UK2 deployed 26.09.2006
63° 16' N 35° 52' W Current meters UK2-05 recovery 22.09.2006
63° 1' N 40° 31' W Current profiler (eg ADCP) ADCP deployed 25.09.2006
63° 1' N 39° 39' W Other physical oceanographic measurements Glider deployed 25.09.2006
63° 0' N 40° 33' W Other physical oceanographic measurements TUBE-28 deployed 23.09.2006

Summary of BODC Data Holdings for the Cruise

National Oceanographic Database

No data currently held for this cruise in the BODC National Oceanographic Database

Project Database

No data currently held for this cruise in the BODC Project Database

References

Track Charts

Track Chart

Reports

Cruise Report