Metadata Report for BODC Series Reference Number 541883

• Metadata Summary

• Problem Reports

• Data Access Policy

• Narrative Documents

• Project Information

• Data Activity or Cruise Information

• Fixed Station Information

• BODC Quality Flags

• SeaDataNet Quality Flags

Metadata Summary

Problem Reports

No Problem Report Found in the Database

Data Access Policy

Open Data supplied by Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)

You must always use the following attribution statement to acknowledge the source of the information: "Contains data supplied by Natural Environment Research Council."

Narrative Documents

Sediment Transport and Boundary Layer Equipment Mark II (STABLE2)

Pop-up STABLE2 is a benthic lander consisting of a large aluminium frame standing on tripod legs, designed and built at the Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory. It is fitted with syntactic foam buoyancy, two Benthos transponding releases, mechanical releases and disposable ballast. When the Benthos releases receive a coded acoustic command from the mother ship, the ballast is released and the instrument pops up to the surface.

Current speeds are measured at four heights by Savonius rotor meters. Current direction is measured by a single vane.

Instruments on the frame

For more information refer to POL Report No 37 1994
(Description and Interpretation of Data Recorded by STABLE II During Charles Darwin Cruise 84, OMEX, Goban Spur, January 1994; J.D. Humphery and S.P. Moores).

Data Processing Notes

Additional processing carried out at BODC included:

• Conversion of current direction from degree relative to magnetic North to degree True by correcting for the local magnetic deviation of 4.7 degrees west.
• Conversion of current speed from m/s to cm/s.
• Conversion of pressure from bars to dbars.

Data Quality Note

STABLE was recovered 200 m off position. Changes in the rig attitude and orientation as given by the instrument's compass and roll sensor indicate that the lander moved on 4/10/98 at 21:58 (probably as a result of trawling). The heading of STABLE changed from 333 to 35 °N and the roll angle from ca. -0.1 to +0.8 degrees between 21:58 and 21:59.

The move had no apparent effect on the pressure, temperature, pitch angle and current direction but an isolated spike was observed in the current speed records of each of the four current meters. This spike was flagged as suspect. The rest of the record as well as the overall quality of current measurements did not seem affected by the move.

General Data Screening carried out by BODC

BODC screen both the series header qualifying information and the parameter values in the data cycles themselves.

Header information is inspected for:

• Irregularities such as unfeasible values
• Inconsistencies between related information, for example:
  • Times for instrument deployment and for start/end of data series
  • Length of record and the number of data cycles/cycle interval
  • Parameters expected and the parameters actually present in the data cycles
• Originator's comments on meter/mooring performance and data quality

Documents are written by BODC highlighting irregularities which cannot be resolved.

Data cycles are inspected using time or depth series plots of all parameters. Currents are additionally inspected using vector scatter plots and time series plots of North and East velocity components. These presentations undergo intrinsic and extrinsic screening to detect infeasible values within the data cycles themselves and inconsistencies as seen when comparing characteristics of adjacent data sets displaced with respect to depth, position or time. Values suspected of being of non-oceanographic origin may be tagged with the BODC flag denoting suspect value; the data values will not be altered.

The following types of irregularity, each relying on visual detection in the plot, are amongst those which may be flagged as suspect:

• Spurious data at the start or end of the record.
• Obvious spikes occurring in periods free from meteorological disturbance.
• A sequence of constant values in consecutive data cycles.

If a large percentage of the data is affected by irregularities then a Problem Report will be written rather than flagging the individual suspect values. Problem Reports are also used to highlight irregularities seen in the graphical data presentations.

Inconsistencies between the characteristics of the data set and those of its neighbours are sought and, where necessary, documented. This covers inconsistencies such as the following:

• Maximum and minimum values of parameters (spikes excluded).
• The occurrence of meteorological events.

This intrinsic and extrinsic screening of the parameter values seeks to confirm the qualifying information and the source laboratory's comments on the series. In screening and collating information, every care is taken to ensure that errors of BODC making are not introduced.

Project Information

PROcesses of Vertical Exchange in Shelf Seas (PROVESS)

Introduction

PROVESS was an interdisciplinary study of the vertical fluxes of properties through the water column and the surface and bottom boundary layers. The project was funded by the European Community MAST-III programme (MAS3-CT97- 0159) and ran from March 1998 to May 2001.

Scientific Rationale

PROVESS was based on the integration of experimental, theoretical and modelling studies with the aim of improving understanding and quantification of vertical exchange processes in the water column, in particular in the surface and benthic boundary layers and across the> pycnocline. PROVESS also explored mechanisms of physical-biological coupling in which vertical exchanges and turbulence significantly affect the environmental conditions experienced by the biota with particular reference to aggregation, flocculation, sedimentation and trophic interactions.

Fieldwork

The experimental phase of the project was carried out at two contrasting sites in the North Sea: the northern North Sea site (NNS) and the southern North Sea site (SNS).

The two sites had the following characteristics:

At both locations measurements were concentrated at a central position with additional measurements being made to estimate horizontal gradients. Moored instruments (including current meters, temperature and pressure sensors, fluorometers, transmissometers, nutrient analysers and meteorological sensors) were deployed between 7 September and 5 November 1998 at the NNS and between 29 March and 25 May 1999 at the SNS. Each experiment was supported by intensive measurement series made from oceanographic ships and involving turbulence dissipation profiler CTD, particle size profilers, optical profilers, benthic sampling and water bottle sampling.

Details of the cruises were as follows:

Data Activity or Cruise Information

Data Activity

PROVESS Project POLRIG#793

This mooring was also known within PROVESS as 'Rig D'. It was one of a cluster of moorings deployed at the main focus of the Northern North Sea Site in the autumn of 1998. The rig was deployed by FS Valdivia (cruise #174) in September 1998 and recovered by RRS Challenger (cruise #140) in October/November 1998.

Note: STABLE was recovered 200 m off position

Related Data Activity activities are detailed in Appendix 1

Cruise

Complete Cruise Metadata Report is available here

Fixed Station Information

Fixed Station Information

PROVESS Northern North Sea Site

Nineteen mooring packages were deployed at PROVESS Northern North Sea site during the cruise Valdivia VA174 in September 1998. The layout of the mooring assemblage was L-shaped. It consisted of an heavily-instrumented site centred close to 59° 20' N, 1° 00'E (Site A with rigs A, B, Ca/b, D, E, Fa/b, G, H, I, J1, J2 and L) and secondary single-rig sites extending up to 40 km north (V and Y) and east (U and X). An addition mooring package, NIOZ or Rig M, was also deployed at Site A during the RV Pelagia PE125 cruise in October 1998.

Rigs Ca/b and Fa/b were two short-term rigs which were recovered at the end of the cruise VA174 and redeployed during the cruise Challenger CH140 in October. All the other rigs were recovered during the cruise CH140 in October-November 1998 apart from rigs H and L which could not be found and rig Cb which was trawled and recovered from Peterhead (Scotland).

The layout of the mooring array was:

Mooring data

The data returned from each rig were as follows:

CTD data

A total of 352 CTD casts were also collected during the four cruises surveying this area. These include:

Additonal data

Complementary meteorological and sea state data for PROVESS Northern North Sea Experiment were obtained from Marine Weather Stations located on Beryl and Frigg oil platforms in the Northern North Sea.

Related Fixed Station activities are detailed in Appendix 2

BODC Quality Control Flags

The following single character qualifying flags may be associated with one or more individual parameters with a data cycle:

SeaDataNet Quality Control Flags

The following single character qualifying flags may be associated with one or more individual parameters with a data cycle:

Appendix 1: POLRIG#793

Related series for this Data Activity are presented in the table below. Further information can be found by following the appropriate links.

If you are interested in these series, please be aware we offer a multiple file download service. Should your credentials be insufficient for automatic download, the service also offers a referral to our Enquiries Officer who may be able to negotiate access.

Appendix 2: PROVESS Northern North Sea Site

Related series for this Fixed Station are presented in the table below. Further information can be found by following the appropriate links.

If you are interested in these series, please be aware we offer a multiple file download service. Should your credentials be insufficient for automatic download, the service also offers a referral to our Enquiries Officer who may be able to negotiate access.