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RRS Challenger CH55

Cruise summary report

Cruise Info. 
Ship name (ship code)RRS Challenger (74CH)
Cruise identifierCH55
Cruise period1989-06-24 — 1989-07-07
StatusCompleted
Port of departureGreat Yarmouth, United Kingdom
Port of returnGreat Yarmouth, United Kingdom
PurposeResearch
ObjectivesTo determine the seasonal cycle of all the major oceanographic variables in the North Sea.
This info will form a unique data set on seasonal changes in an archetypal shelf sea which will be used as a basis for initialising and testing models of vertical exchange, horizontal transport and the seasonal cycle of production and nutrient regeneration. These models represent essential intermediate goals in the long term development of skillful models describing the fate of pollutants which are released into the North Sea.
Chief scientistJohn H Simpson (University of Wales, Bangor School of Ocean Sciences)
ProjectNorth Sea Project
Coordinating bodyNERC
Cruise reportRRS Challenger CH55 cruise report ch55_89.pdf (0.38 MB) 
Ocean/sea areas 
GeneralNorth Sea
SpecificNorth Sea
Track chartsRRS Challenger CH55 cruise track — ch55_89track.pdf (0.02 MB) 
Measurements 
Physical oceanography 
Surface measurements underway (T,S)Quantity: track kilometres = 1417
Description: continuous underway temperature, salinity, attenuence,bathymetry,chlorophyll,dissolved oxygen,light
Water bottle stationsQuantity: number of stations = 126
CTD stationsQuantity: number of stations = 123
Transparency (eg transmissometer)Quantity: track kilometres = 1417
Description: continuous underway temperature, salinity, attenuence,bathymetry,chlorophyll,dissolved oxygen,light
Transparency (eg transmissometer)Quantity: number of stations = 123
Optics (eg underwater light levels)Quantity: number of stations = 123
Current metersQuantity: number of stations = 4
Description: 9 cms recovered & redeployed
Current profiler (eg ADCP)Quantity: track kilometres = 1417
Description: shipborne ADCP profiles
Chemical oceanography 
OxygenQuantity: number of stations = 123
OxygenQuantity: track kilometres = 1417
Description: continuous underway temperature, salinity, attenuence,bathymetry,chlorophyll,dissolved oxygen,light
OxygenQuantity: number of stations = 26
Description: dissolved oxygen
PhosphateQuantity: number of stations = 126
NitrateQuantity: number of stations = 126
NitriteQuantity: number of stations = 126
AmmoniaQuantity: number of stations = 126
SilicateQuantity: number of stations = 126
Other chemical oceanographic measurementsQuantity: number of stations = 120
Description: diss./particulate DMSp,DMS,total DMSp & 20 other halocarbons
Contamination 
Suspended matterQuantity: number of stations = 126
Description: suspended sediment to calibrate transmissometer
Biology and fisheries 
Primary productivityQuantity: number of experiments = 10
Description: primary production experiments
Phytoplankton pigs (eg chlorophyll, fluorescence)Quantity: number of stations = 123
Phytoplankton pigs (eg chlorophyll, fluorescence)Quantity: track kilometres = 1417
Description: continuous underway temperature, salinity, attenuence,bathymetry,chlorophyll,dissolved oxygen,light
Phytoplankton pigs (eg chlorophyll, fluorescence)Quantity: number of samples = 375
Description: chl. samples and phaeopigment (no. of bottles)
PhytoplanktonQuantity: number of samples = 60
ZooplanktonQuantity: number of stations = 70
Meteorology 
Incident radiationQuantity: track kilometres = 1417
Description: continuous underway temperature, salinity, attenuence,bathymetry,chlorophyll,dissolved oxygen,light
Atmospheric chemistryQuantity: activity duration in hours = 104
Description: 90h marine aerosols,cascade impactor samples,14h marine aerosols,org./inorg. particles
Atmospheric chemistryQuantity: number of samples = 16
Description: 12 large aerosols, 4 rainfall
Geology and geophysics 
Single-beam echosoundingQuantity: track kilometres = 1417
Description: continuous underway temperature, salinity, attenuence,bathymetry,chlorophyll,dissolved oxygen,light
Moorings, landers, buoys 
Physical oceanography 
Current meters52° 36' 54" N  3° 46' 5" E — Mooring F, 2 current meters recovered and redeployed
Current meters52° 41' 6" N  2° 25' 11" E — Mooring E, 2 current meters recovered and redeployed
Current meters54° 20' 24" N  0° 23' 35" E — Mooring C, Sea floor ADCP and current meter recovered and redeployed
Current meters55° 29' 53" N  5° 30' 29" E — Mooring B, 4 current meters recovered and redeployed
Current profiler (eg ADCP)55° 30' 0" N  0° 54' 6" E — Mooring A, ADCP and thermistor chain recovered and redeployed
Current profiler (eg ADCP)54° 20' 24" N  0° 23' 35" E — Mooring C, Sea floor ADCP and current meter recovered and redeployed
Current profiler (eg ADCP)53° 30' 0" N  3° 0' 17" E — Mooring D, Sea floor ADCP recovered and redeployed
Instrumented wave measurements53° 30' 6" N  3° 0' 35" E — Mooring D, thermistor chain recovered and redeployed
Instrumented wave measurements55° 30' 0" N  0° 54' 6" E — Mooring A, ADCP and thermistor chain recovered and redeployed
Instrumented wave measurements55° 30' 0" N  5° 29' 48" E — Mooring B, thermistor chain recovered and redeployed
Instrumented wave measurements54° 20' 17" N  0° 23' 48" E — Mooring C, thermistor chain recovered and redeployed
Data held at BODC Get data
Series/Profiles 
372  Bottle station
Reference numbers
Nitrite concentration parameters in the water column
Vertical spatial coordinates
Phosphate concentration parameters in the water column
Silicate concentration parameters in the water column
Ammonium and ammonia concentration parameters in water bodies
Nitrate concentration parameters in the water column
Phaeopigment concentrations in the water column
Quality control flags
Chlorophyll pigment concentrations in water bodies
Reference numbers
Nitrite concentration parameters in the water column
Vertical spatial coordinates
Phosphate concentration parameters in the water column
Silicate concentration parameters in the water column
Ammonium and ammonia concentration parameters in water bodies
Nitrate concentration parameters in the water column
Phaeopigment concentrations in the water column
Quality control flags
Chlorophyll pigment concentrations in water bodies

BODC idDate/TimeLocationDoc.
123  CTD/STD cast
Transmittance and attenuance of the water column
Dissolved oxygen parameters in the water column
Temperature of the water column
Vertical spatial coordinates
Salinity of the water column
Concentration of suspended particulate material in the water column
Visible waveband radiance and irradiance measurements in the water column
Density of the water column
Chlorophyll pigment concentrations in water bodies
Transmittance and attenuance of the water column
Dissolved oxygen parameters in the water column
Temperature of the water column
Vertical spatial coordinates
Salinity of the water column
Concentration of suspended particulate material in the water column
Visible waveband radiance and irradiance measurements in the water column
Density of the water column
Chlorophyll pigment concentrations in water bodies

BODC idDate/TimeLocationDoc.
Discrete samples 
20  Bulk filtered air sample
127  CTD frame plus rosette samplerTransmittance and attenuance of the water column
Organosulphur and organoselenium species concentration parameters in water bodies
Nitrite concentration parameters in the water column
Temperature of the water column
Dissolved oxygen parameters in the water column
Phytoplankton taxonomic abundance in water bodies
Phosphate concentration parameters in the water column
Salinity of the water column
Concentration of suspended particulate material in the water column
Silicate concentration parameters in the water column
Visible waveband radiance and irradiance measurements in the water column
Other halocarbon concentrations in water bodies
Density of the water column
Ammonium and ammonia concentration parameters in water bodies
Microzooplankton taxonomic abundance in water bodies
Phytoplankton generic abundance in water bodies
Metadata parameters
Microzooplankton generic abundance in water bodies
Nitrate concentration parameters in the water column
Phaeopigment concentrations in the water column
Chlorophyll pigment concentrations in water bodies
Primary production in the water column
1  Cascade impactor atmospheric sampler
4  Rain water collector
30  Sample taken from ship's non-toxic supplyDissolved oxygen parameters in the water column
70  Unspecified zooplankton net or nets