Resources

RRS Discovery D117

Cruise summary report

Cruise Info. 
Ship name (ship code)RRS Discovery (74E3)
Cruise identifierD117
Cruise period1981-01-19 — 1981-02-12
StatusCompleted
Port of departureFunchal, Portugal
Port of returnGibraltar, Gibraltar
ObjectivesThe objective of this cruise was to investigate currents and mixing near the floor of the deep ocean to give an understanding of the processes that would determine the dispersion of an accidental radioactive release on the sea bed. A site (33N, 22W) was selected where there was good current meter mooring coverage from both IOS and Institut fur Meereskunde, Kiel studies.
Specific proposed activities were:
(1) Lay a mooring at the study site with six current meters between 10 and 100m off the bottom.
(2) Deploy a cluster of neutrally buoyant flats 300m off the bottom and measure their dispersion.
(3) Make CTD profiles near the moorings to provide calibration data for current meter temperature sensors.
(4) Explore the extent of the boundary layer both vertically and horizontally in the vicinity of the floats and current meters.
(5) To map the topography of the study area
(6) To work a CTD section from 30N, 25W to 38N, 17W.
In very large measure all these objectives were met.
Chief scientistPeter M Saunders (Institute of Oceanographic Sciences Wormley Laboratory)
Cruise reportRRS Discovery D117 cruise report d117.pdf (0.62 MB) 
Ocean/sea areas 
GeneralNorth East Atlantic Ocean (limit 40W)
SpecificMadeira - Gibraltar
Track chartsRRS Discovery D117 cruise track — trk2528.html
Measurements 
Physical oceanography 
CTD stationsQuantity: number of stations = 33
Neutrally buoyant floatsQuantity: number of deployments = 12
Meteorology 
Routine standard measurements
Geology and geophysics 
Single-beam echosoundingQuantity: track kilometres = 1481.6
Data held at BODC Get data
Series/Profiles 
33  CTD/STD cast
Reference numbers
Salinity of the water column
Vertical spatial coordinates
Temperature of the water column
Reference numbers
Salinity of the water column
Vertical spatial coordinates
Temperature of the water column

BODC idDate/TimeLocationDoc.
556271981-01-26 08:47 30° 59' 17" N  24° 1' 0" W  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 55627
557681981-02-03 20:15 33° 30' 11" N  21° 49' 54" W  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 55768
558361981-01-31 04:42 33° 20' 17" N  22° 12' 24" W  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 55836
558611981-01-30 20:38 33° 19' 47" N  22° 17' 12" W  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 55861
558971981-01-25 07:25 33° 8' 59" N  22° 9' 29" W  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 55897
556881981-02-07 15:54 34° 59' 41" N  19° 59' 23" W  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 55688
556391981-01-26 19:54 29° 59' 30" N  25° 0' 17" W  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 55639
556641981-02-09 01:29 37° 53' 30" N  17° 3' 47" W  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 55664
558851981-01-28 06:50 33° 15' 35" N  22° 4' 23" W  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 55885
558241981-02-01 07:35 33° 22' 5" N  22° 4' 47" W  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 55824
559161981-01-24 04:17 33° 9' 53" N  22° 1' 29" W  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 55916
559411981-01-22 22:56 32° 56' 6" N  22° 2' 35" W  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 55941
556401981-02-07 04:28 33° 59' 35" N  20° 59' 23" W  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 55640
557191981-01-29 16:10 33° 18' 6" N  22° 5' 30" W  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 55719
559041981-01-24 11:16 33° 7' 11" N  21° 59' 53" W  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 55904
559771981-02-01 18:34 33° 20' 17" N  22° 1' 5" W  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 55977
557561981-02-05 16:02 33° 27' 54" N  22° 23' 41" W  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 55756
557811981-02-03 14:52 33° 24' 29" N  21° 58' 36" W  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 55781
558121981-02-01 22:12 33° 17' 59" N  22° 4' 12" W  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 55812
559531981-01-21 20:02 33° 8' 12" N  22° 17' 35" W  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 55953
556521981-02-08 03:24 36° 1' 29" N  18° 58' 23" W  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 55652
556761981-02-04 22:43 33° 6' 35" N  21° 46' 0" W  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 55676
557071981-02-08 13:29 36° 53' 48" N  18° 6' 18" W  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 55707
557201981-01-30 03:08 33° 18' 6" N  22° 4' 29" W  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 55720
557321981-01-31 15:48 33° 19' 30" N  22° 7' 59" W  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 55732
557441981-02-02 19:37 33° 20' 17" N  22° 3' 35" W  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 55744
556151981-01-25 21:43 32° 0' 18" N  23° 0' 42" W  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 55615
558731981-01-28 22:00 33° 5' 6" N  22° 5' 53" W  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 55873
559281981-01-23 13:38 33° 13' 11" N  22° 2' 23" W  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 55928
558481981-01-24 23:58 33° 10' 47" N  21° 55' 47" W  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 55848
559651981-01-20 22:11 33° 9' 29" N  21° 58' 0" W  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 55965
558001981-02-02 04:16 33° 12' 54" N  22° 9' 47" W  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 55800
557931981-02-02 10:01 33° 25' 18" N  21° 57' 47" W  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 55793