RRS Discovery D304

Cruise summary report

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Cruise Info.

Ship name (ship code)

RRS Discovery (74E3)

Cruise identifier

D304

Cruise period

2006-05-12 — 2006-06-06

Status

Completed

Port of departure

Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

Port of return

Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

Purpose

Research

Objectives

The RRS Discovery cruise 304 was conducted from 12 May to 6 June 2005 from and to Santa Cruz (Tenerife). The cruise was completed as part of the NERC founded RAPID programme to monitor the meridional overturning circulation at 26 N. The primary purpose was to service the eastern boundary and Mid-Atlantic Ridge part of the 26 N mooring array which had previously been serviced during the RRS Charles Darwin cruises 170 and 177.

12 moorings were successfully recovered, however two of the shallow eastern boundary moorings failed to release. Intense fishing activity at these sites is likely to be the cause. 12 mooring and four bottom pressure landers were re-deployed. Data from two bottom mounted inverted echosounders
was uploaded via acoustic telemetry. A total of 10 CTD casts to calibrate the mooring sensors were carried out and 3 Argo floats (from the UK Met Office) were launched.

The moored sensors are CTD loggers for the most part but also bottom pressure sensors, different types of current meters and inverted echosounders are used to determine the strength and structure of the meridional overturning circulation.

Chief scientist

Torsten Kanzow (National Oceanography Centre, Southampton)

Project

RAPID - MOC

Coordinating body

NERC

Cruise report

(4.80 MB)

Ocean/sea areas

General

North Atlantic Ocean

Specific

Subtropical North Atlantic

Measurements

Physical oceanography

Surface measurements underway (T,S)

Quantity: activity duration in days = 25
Description: T ans S surface measurements along all of the track

CTD stations

Quantity: number of stations = 10
Description: CTD stations

Current profiler (eg ADCP)

Quantity: activity duration in days = 25
Description: Vessel mounted ADCP measurements along all of the track

Meteorology

Routine standard measurements

Quantity: activity duration in days = 25
Description: Standard meteorological measurements along all of the track

Moorings, landers, buoys

Physical oceanography

CTD stations

28° 27' 36" N 15° 47' 53" W — CTD to 1500 m

CTD stations

23° 48' 47" N 24° 6' 0" W — CTD to 3000 m

CTD stations

23° 39' 5" N 36° 3' 53" W — CTD to 4800 m

CTD stations

23° 48' 0" N 24° 6' 41" W — CTD to 5000 m

CTD stations

23° 48' 0" N 24° 6' 23" W — CTD to 5000 m

CTD stations

24° 40' 41" N 15° 36' 59" W — CTD to 3000 m

CTD stations

27° 13' 5" N 15° 36' 59" W — CTD to 3000 m

CTD stations

28° 26' 42" N 15° 23' 24" W — CTD to 3000 m

CTD stations

25° 18' 17" N 50° 15' 59" W — CTD to 3000 m

CTD stations

28° 25' 30" N 15° 23' 24" W — CTD to 3000 m

Sea level (inc. bot. press., inverted echosounder)

27° 17' 11" N 15° 25' 17" W — Bottom pressure. Mooring deployed.

Sea level (inc. bot. press., inverted echosounder)

23° 48' 35" N 24° 6' 18" W — Bottom pressure and inverted echosounder. Data acousticly downloaded.

Sea level (inc. bot. press., inverted echosounder)

23° 53' 59" N 24° 3' 5" W — Bottom pressure. Mooring deployed.

Sea level (inc. bot. press., inverted echosounder)

24° 12' 36" N 49° 43' 35" W — Bottom pressure. Mooring deployed.

Sea level (inc. bot. press., inverted echosounder)

23° 51' 35" N 41° 5' 41" W — Bottom pressure. Mooring deployed.