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RRS Challenger CH31
Cruise summary report
Cruise Info. | |
Ship name (ship code) | RRS Challenger (74CH) |
Cruise identifier | CH31 |
Cruise period | 1988-06-26 — 1988-07-15 |
Status | Completed |
Port of departure | Barry, United Kingdom |
Port of return | Plymouth, United Kingdom |
Purpose | Research |
Objectives | 1. To deploy thermistor chain moorings on the Biscay abyssal plains to examine the propagation of internal tidal energy into the ocean interior from the continental slopes.
2. To examine the effects of mixing, nutrient availability and illumination of distribution of phytoplankton and zooplankton in the area of the slope. 3. To examine the scattering layer at the 300-400m depth contour near Chapel Bank over a tidal cycle. 4. To make CTD profiles over several tidal cycles in conjunction with the ADCP to examine mixing within the water column and to investigate turbid layers near the bottom. Draw samples from the rosette for Coulter counter analyses. 5. To investigate the diurnal fluorescence rhythm. 6. Recover longterm moorings in the Porcupine Sea Bight and deploy longterm moorings on the north slopes, to investigate slope transport. 7. To make continuous underway measurements of temperature, salinity, fluorescence, inorganic nitrate, reactive silicate, light transmission and surface illumination. |
Chief scientist | Robin D Pingree (Marine Biological Association of the UK) |
Cruise report | (0.74 MB) |
Ocean/sea areas | |
General | English Channel Bay of Biscay |
Specific | Bay of Biscay |
Track charts | (0.02 MB) |
Measurements | |
Physical oceanography | |
Surface measurements underway (T,S) | Quantity: track kilometres = 2000 Description: continous throughout the cruise. |
Water bottle stations | Quantity: number of stations = 134 Description: S surface only |
Transparency (eg transmissometer) | Quantity: track kilometres = 2000 |
Optics (eg underwater light levels) | Quantity: number of stations = 3 Description: extinction coefficient |
Current meters | Quantity: number of deployments = 22 Description: 22 deployed;10 days;4 long term in 9 month |
Chemical oceanography | |
Nitrate | Quantity: track kilometres = 2000 |
Biology and fisheries | |
Primary productivity | Quantity: number of stations = 3 |
Phytoplankton pigs (eg chlorophyll, fluorescence) | Quantity: number of samples = 237 Description: chlorophyll a |
Phytoplankton | Quantity: track kilometres = 2000 Description: fluorescence |
Zooplankton | Quantity: number of stations = 18 |
Meteorology | |
Incident radiation | Quantity: track kilometres = 2000 |