Metadata Report for BODC Series Reference Number 589691

• 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

Public domain data

These data have no specific confidentiality restrictions for users. However, users must acknowledge data sources as it is not ethical to publish data without proper attribution. Any publication or other output resulting from usage of the data should include an acknowledgment.

The recommended acknowledgment is

"This study uses data from the data source/organisation/programme, provided by the British Oceanographic Data Centre and funded by the funding body."

Narrative Documents

RAFOS Floats

RAFOS Floats are neutrally buoyant, free drifting instruments, which are launched from a ship in the research area. They consist of a 1.5m cylinder housing a pressure transducer; a temperature sensor; a battery pack; a satellite transmitter and antenna. Externally, there is a ballast weight to enable the float to remain at a near constant depth and an acoustic receiver that listens for positioning information.

Once deployed, the float will settle to a predetermined depth (typically from 300-4000 metres) and can remain there for up to two years. The float's acoustic receiver listens for signals from an array of moored sound sources. Each sound source transmits a unique signal at a specific time, which is received by the float. Knowing the speed of sound in water and the time delay, it is possible to calculate the distance of the float from that sound source. RAFOS floats track multiple sound sources. If the range to three sources are known, it is then possible to triangulate the position of the float at that given time.

Once the float has completed the mission, the ballast weight is dropped and the float rises to the surface. Once on the surface, all of the data collected during the mission is transmitted to an orbiting Argos satellite, which relays the data back.

It is therefore possible to map each float's position during the course of the mission, and thereby understand to ocean currents. In addition, the floats also measure instrument depth and sea temperature.

Project Information

Monitoring the Atlantic Inflow toward the Arctic (MAIA)

Introduction

MAIA is an EU Fifth Framework Programme supporting Key Action 2 (Global Change, Climate and Biodiversity) of Theme 4: Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development. The overall objective of MAIA is to develop an inexpensive and reliable system based on coastal sea level data for monitoring the inflows of Atlantic water into the northern seas.

Scientific Rationale

The flux of Atlantic Water to the northern seas is vital for the existence of life in northern Europe. More than half of the Atlantic Water appears to enter the Norwegian Sea to the west of the Faroe Islands. A lesser, warmer amount enters along the continental margin past Scotland. There have been several attempts to estimate and monitor these fluxes and see how the ice extent in the north is correlated to them.

The special goals of MAIA are:

• to monitor the inflow of salt and heat to the northern seas for the analysis of climate variability, distinguishing between warmer (eastern) and cooler (western) inflow past the Faroes, and the major routes through the Barents Sea, with a time resolution better than a week, a spatial resolution of the major routes and an accuracy better than 15%.

• to understand the causes of errors and recommend strategies to improve the future accuracy of such a monitoring tool.

Project Components

The project was divided into 3 phases:

• Phase I

  Phase I was to analyse historical observations of sea-level fluctuations during the past decade and compare them with available bottom pressure and in situ current velocity measurements in the region of interest.

• Phase II

  Phase II is a dedicated validation study in the Shetland- Iceland region and in the Barents Sea to verify that the system can give the required results to the desired accuracy and resolution. The validation period was from summer 2000 to November 2001.

• Phase III

  Phase III of the project includes evaluating the validations, the effects of external influences and the ice studies, and making recommendations for future monitoring.

Data Activity or Cruise Information

Cruise

Complete Cruise Metadata Report is available here

Fixed Station Information

No Fixed Station Information held for the Series

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: