Argos Georgia SS24
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | Argos Georgia (SHAR) |
| Cruise identifier | SS24 |
| Cruise period | 2024-01-30 — 2024-03-01 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Stanley, Falkland Islands (Malvinas) |
| Port of return | Stanley, Falkland Islands (Malvinas) |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | Two oceanographic moorings were deployed in South Sandwich Trench to study the variability in properties and transport of Weddell Sea Deep Water exported through this deep channel. This work forms part of the Horizon Europe-funded project Ocean-Cryosphere Exchanges in ANtarctica: Impacts on Climate and the Earth System (OCEAN:ICE); as part of workpackage 5 these data will be analysed in conjunction with mooring data collected simultaneously in Orkney Passage, farther west, as part of the NERC-funded BIOPOLE project (previously funded via ORCHESTRA, ENCORE, and BAS Long-Term Monitoring and Survey), and with other datasets collected by project partners farther upstream in the Weddell Sea. Although the original plan was to deploy these moorings from a research vessel, and to collect CTD profiles in the mooring locations, this unfortunately was not possible, and instead we managed to organise deployment from longline fishing vessel Argos Georgia, in conjunction with research and commercial fishing taking place immediately to the north of the study area.
The mooring equipment was loaded and the chief scientist embarked on 29 Jan 2024. The vessel departed Stanley on 30 Jan and called into King Edward Point, South Georgia for a fishing license inspection on 03 Feb. Research fishing near the South Sandwich Islands (in CCAMLR sub-area 48.4, north of 60S) took place 04-15 Feb. During this time, mooring equipment was prepared for deployment by the chief scientist and the vessel crew. Two commercial fishing lines were set on the afternoon of 15 Feb, before the vessel departed for South Sandwich Trench, arriving in the morning. The two moorings were deployed on 16 Feb. The vessel then continued with commercial fishing, in the same sub-area as before, on 16-24 Feb, before returning to the anchorage in Stanley Harbour on 29 Feb. The ship berthed, the cruise was demobilised, and the chief scientist disembarked on 01 Mar. |
| Chief scientist | Povl Abrahamsen (British Antarctic Survey) |
| Project | Ocean-Cryosphere Exchanges in ANtarctica: Impacts on Climate and the Earth System (OCEAN:ICE) |
| Coordinating body | British Antarctic Survey (BAS); Danish Meteorological Institute; |
| Cruise report |  (4.41 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | South West Atlantic Ocean (limit 20W) Southern Ocean Unknown |
| Specific | South Sandwich Trench |
| Track charts | (0.80 MB) |
| Moorings, landers, buoys | |
| Physical oceanography | |
| Current meters | 60° 15' 0" S 25° 7' 59" W — Mooring SST_C, deployed 16/02/2024. Current meters (Nortek Aquadopp DW) at 1455, 2952, 4452, and 5944 m depth. C/T/D loggers (Seabird SBE-37SM) at 1456 and 5945 m depth. T loggers (RBRsolo3T|deep) at 2200, 3700, and 5200 m depth. |
| Current meters | 60° 7' 59" S 25° 18' 59" W — Mooring SST_W, deployed 16/02/2024. Current meters (Nortek Aquadopp DW) at 1448, 2946, and 3939 m depth. C/T/D logger (Seabird SBE-37SM) at 2947 m depth. T loggers (Seabird SBE-39) at 2194 and 3444 m depth. |
| Other physical oceanographic measurements | 60° 15' 0" S 25° 7' 59" W — Mooring SST_C, deployed 16/02/2024. Current meters (Nortek Aquadopp DW) at 1455, 2952, 4452, and 5944 m depth. C/T/D loggers (Seabird SBE-37SM) at 1456 and 5945 m depth. T loggers (RBRsolo3T|deep) at 2200, 3700, and 5200 m depth. |
| Other physical oceanographic measurements | 60° 7' 59" S 25° 18' 59" W — Mooring SST_W, deployed 16/02/2024. Current meters (Nortek Aquadopp DW) at 1448, 2946, and 3939 m depth. C/T/D logger (Seabird SBE-37SM) at 2947 m depth. T loggers (Seabird SBE-39) at 2194 and 3444 m depth. |
