Amery Ice Shelf Oceanographic Research experiment (AMISOR)
This experiment was undertaken by the Cooperative Research Centre for the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Environment (Antarctic CRC), based in Hobart, Australia. The Amery Ice Shelf Oceanographic Research experiment (AMISOR) is comprised of two fieldwork components - the ongoing ice shelf based instrumentation deployments (Craven at al., Antarctic Division data report, in prep.) and the completed ship-based CTD and mooring work. The ship-based component, from the two Antarctic marine science cruises AU0106 and AU0207, was conducted aboard the Australian Antarctic Division vessel RSV Aurora Australis.
The primary oceanographic aims of the experiment are:
- to describe the present distribution, in both space and time, of the meltwater from the Amery Ice Shelf cavity, as observed at the front of the ice shelf;
- to estimate the thermohaline circulation at the front of the ice shelf;
- to estimate the freshwater flux from underneath the ice shelf, and the heat flux into the ice shelf, including the seasonal cycle;
- to estimate the role of sea ice on the thermohaline circulation beneath the ice shelf;
- to determine appropriate oceanographic initial conditions for forward modelling of the thermohaline circulation beneath the ice shelf.
Cruise AU0106 took place from January to March 2001, commencing the ship-based oceanographic component of AMISOR. CTD profiles were taken at 24 sites with an average spacing of ~5.3 miles along a 115 mile transect parallel to and approximately 2 to 3 miles from the front of the Amery Ice Shelf. An array of 7 current meter/thermosalinograph moorings was deployed along the CTD transect line. In addition, 2 upward looking sonar (ULS) moorings were deployed. CTD profiles were obtained at all mooring locations. Cruise AU0207 took place from January to March 2002 completing the ship-based AMISOR work. All 9 moorings were recovered successfully and CTD transects were also completed.
Information about this data set has been taken from the following publication which can be accessed by the following link:
Rosenberg, M., Bindoff, N., Curran, C., Helmond, I., Miller, K., McLaughlan, D., Church, J., Richman, J. and Leffanue, H. (2002)
Amery Ice Shelf Experiment (AMISOR)
, Marine Science Cruises AU0106 and AU0207 - Oceanographic Field Measurements and Analysis. Antarctic Cooperative Research Centre, Research Report No. 30, September 2002, Hobart, Australia, 119 pp.
If you require additional information about this data set, please send an email to: mark.rosenberg@utas.edu.au
