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World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE) Southern Repeat Section 1B - Falkland Islands to Elephant Island

WOCE Southern Repeat Section 1B is a section across Drake Passage in the South Atlantic Ocean. The nominal end points of the section (currently) are at 54° 36.0' S, 58° 36.0' W (south of the Falkland Islands) and 61° 06.0' S, 54° 30.0' W (off Elephant Island at the north end of the Antarctic Peninsula).

The section was first occupied by the R/V Polarstern in 1992 (Gersonde, 1993). The first UK occupation of SR1b followed on RRS Discovery later the same year. The National Oceanography Centre, Southampton (formerly known as Southampton Oceanography Centre), in collaboration with the British Antarctic Survey, have occupied the section most years since 1993 on the RRS James Clark Ross. Additionally, there were three Spanish occupations on R/V Hespérides in February 1995, 1996 and 1998 (Garcia et al., 2002). A Drake Passage summary report for RRS James Clark Ross cruises between 1993 - 2000 has been produced.

In 2009 during JC031, the 9 most northernmost stations followed a direct line north-south along 58° W. The following occupation during JR195 in November 2009, went along the original track. Since 2010 all occupations have followed the same track as JC031.

Previous to 1992, the section was designated SR1 and was located futher westwards between the southern tip of Argentina and the Antarctic Peninsula. It was moved to follow a satellite ground track.

A table of cruises which occupied SR1b is presented below with links to the relevant cruise reports (where available).

References

García, M. A., I. Bladé, A. Cruzado, Z. Velásquez, H. García, J. Puigdefàbregas and J. Sospedra, 2002: Observed variability of water properties and transports on the World Ocean Circulation Experiment SR1b section across the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. J. Geophys. Res. 107 (C10) 3162, 10.1029/2000JC000277.

Gersonde, R., 1993: The Expedition Antarktis X/5 of RV Polarstern in 1992. Berichte zur Polarforschung, 131, 167 pp.