Resources

RV Maria S. Merian MSM28

Cruise summary report

Cruise Info. 
Ship name (ship code)RV Maria S. Merian (06M2)
Cruise identifierMSM28
Cruise period2013-05-09 — 2013-06-20
StatusCompleted
Port of departureSt. John's, Canada
Port of returnTromsø, Norway
PurposeResearch
ObjectivesPrimary objectives

1. To exchange two deep-sea mooring arrays installed across the Deep Western Boundary Current (DWBC) east of Flemish Cap at 47°N and along the western flank of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR). Both arrays serve to measure the velocity structure and temperature and salinity of different components of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) as well as of the North Atlantic Current (NAC). Since the DWBC mooring array could not be completely recovered during the previous cruise MSM-27, it was not redeployed.
2. To analyse the strength and variability in the strength of the exported NADW in relation to the variations in the strength of the NAC in the Newfoundland Basin.
3. To infer the main pathways of the NADW components and the NAC in the open subpolar North Atlantic and the strength of the subpolar gyre as it crosses the MAR.
4. To estimate the present rate of formation of Labrador Sea Water (LSW), inferred from changes of tracer inventories.
5. To assess the role of LSW formation and different NAC circulation patterns for the lateral propagation of heat and freshwater anomalies.
Chief scientistDagmar Kieke (University of Bremen Institute of Environmental Physics)
Cruise reportRV Maria S. Merian MSM28 cruise report mariasmerian_msm28.pdf (2.56 MB) 
NPRCRV Maria S. Merian MSM28 NPRC mariasmerian_msm28.pdf (0.02 MB) 
Ocean/sea areas 
GeneralNorth Atlantic Ocean
Labrador Sea (Davis Strait)
SpecificLabrador Sea, Irminger Sea, Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Newfoundland Basin, Flemish Pass, West European Basin.
Track chartsRV Maria S. Merian MSM28 cruise track — mariasmerian_msm28trk.pdf (2.52 MB)