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RRS Challenger CH56

Cruise summary report

Cruise Info. 
Ship name (ship code)RRS Challenger (74CH)
Cruise identifierCH56
Cruise period1989-07-08 — 1989-07-22
StatusCompleted
Port of departureGreat Yarmouth, United Kingdom
Port of returnGreat Yarmouth, United Kingdom
PurposeResearch
ObjectivesThe broad aim as set out in the cruise plan was to study the circulation in the Flamborough frontal region of the North Sea. This formed a process study as part of the NERC North Sea project (1988-89).
The methods were:
1. To survey the frontal region and provide salinity, temperature and current sections by using the ship-mounted acoustic doppler current profiler (ADCP) together with the sea-soar towed vehicle. Some of these sections were to be repeated over a tidal cycle so that tidal currents could be removed from the data and interactions with the tide could be studied. For salinity and temperature, the CTD was to be available as well as the sea-soar, while continuous surface sampling was to run throughout the cruise.
2. To deploy moorings at the sites. These consisted of a current meter string at FA, a current meter string and thermistor chain at FB, an ADCP and thermistor chain at DB. A current meter string for DB was also prepared. Moorings were to be recovered during Challenger cruise 58/89.
3. To deploy and later recover 10 drifting buoys, Argos tracked and Decca position recording, in two groups of 5 spanning the front. 5 of the buoys were to be redeployed for recovery during cruise 58.
4. Photographs of the (standby) radar screen were to be taken for a study of the technique of wave measurement by radar.
All the planned programme work was successfully carried out, except that problems with drifting buoys meant that a proposed redeployment did not take place.
Chief scientistIan D James (Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory)
ProjectNorth Sea Project
Coordinating bodyNERC
Cruise reportRRS Challenger CH56 cruise report ch56_89.pdf (0.43 MB) 
Ocean/sea areas 
GeneralNorth Sea
SpecificNorth Sea
Track chartsRRS Challenger CH56 cruise track — trk3478.html
Measurements 
Physical oceanography 
Surface measurements underway (T,S)Quantity: track kilometres = 2000
CTD stationsQuantity: number of profiles = 51
Subsurface temperature and salinity measurementsQuantity: track kilometres = 1000
Description: Sear-Soar
Subsurface temperature measurementsQuantity: number of stations = 4
Transparency (eg transmissometer)Quantity: number of profiles = 50
Description: + 2000 nautical miles continous recording.
Current metersQuantity: number of stations = 5
Description: 1 month
Current profiler (eg ADCP)Quantity: track kilometres = 2000
Description: ADCP on ship
Surface drifters/drifting buoysQuantity: number of deployments = 10
Chemical oceanography 
OxygenQuantity: number of profiles = 50
Description: + 1000 nautical miles continous observation.
Biology and fisheries 
Other biological/fisheries measurementQuantity: number of profiles = 50
Description: bioluminescence + 1200 nautical miles continuous, fluorescence.
Meteorology 
Incident radiationQuantity: activity duration in days = 14
Data held at BODC Get data
Series/Profiles 
51  CTD/STD cast
Transmittance and attenuance of the water column
Salinity of the water column
Temperature of the water column
Vertical spatial coordinates
Density of the water column
Transmittance and attenuance of the water column
Salinity of the water column
Temperature of the water column
Vertical spatial coordinates
Density of the water column

BODC idDate/TimeLocationDoc.
8189691989-07-09 13:24 54° 8' 53" N  0° 23' 54" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 818969
8190211989-07-10 05:54 54° 14' 53" N  0° 12' 53" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819021
8191131989-07-12 00:32 54° 35' 48" N  0° 46' 10" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819113
8191371989-07-13 13:01 54° 45' 10" N  1° 10' 1" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819137
8192541989-07-10 13:40 54° 31' 28" N  0° 30' 10" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819254
8193831989-07-12 01:15 54° 35' 49" N  0° 54' 40" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819383
8193951989-07-12 02:06 54° 35' 45" N  1° 3' 27" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819395
8194381989-07-13 14:35 54° 35' 8" N  1° 9' 58" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819438
8194511989-07-13 16:21 54° 25' 1" N  1° 9' 49" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819451
8189941989-07-10 00:49 54° 1' 7" N  0° 25' 3" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 818994
8190941989-07-11 02:16 55° 0' 1" N  1° 3' 51" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819094
8192911989-07-10 20:31 54° 49' 59" N  1° 12' 40" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819291
8193581989-07-11 08:35 54° 55' 10" N  1° 4' 21" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819358
8189331989-07-09 03:06 53° 54' 55" N  0° 14' 4" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 818933
8189451989-07-09 04:06 53° 59' 11" N  0° 9' 56" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 818945
8189821989-07-09 23:55 53° 57' 58" N  0° 18' 40" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 818982
8191251989-07-12 02:46 54° 35' 49" N  1° 10' 54" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819125
8191741989-07-09 19:41 54° 7' 49" N  0° 25' 2" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819174
8192051989-07-09 22:57 53° 53' 50" N  0° 25' 2" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819205
8191491989-07-13 15:30 54° 29' 58" N  1° 9' 56" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819149
8191501989-07-18 12:17 54° 54' 44" N  1° 10' 20" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819150
8192171989-07-10 01:42 54° 4' 14" N  0° 18' 24" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819217
8189571989-07-09 09:35 54° 3' 19" N  0° 16' 50" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 818957
8190081989-07-10 03:20 54° 11' 29" N  0° 6' 14" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819008
8191861989-07-09 20:32 54° 4' 32" N  0° 30' 52" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819186
8192291989-07-10 02:24 54° 7' 50" N  0° 12' 23" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819229
8192421989-07-10 05:03 54° 18' 17" N  0° 6' 42" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819242
8192781989-07-10 19:47 54° 49' 57" N  1° 4' 15" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819278
8193711989-07-11 23:44 54° 35' 56" N  0° 37' 23" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819371
8194261989-07-13 13:47 54° 40' 5" N  1° 9' 58" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819426
8189701989-07-09 21:19 54° 1' 4" N  0° 37' 1" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 818970
8190701989-07-10 21:18 54° 49' 53" N  1° 21' 28" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819070
8191621989-07-18 13:33 54° 55' 19" N  1° 4' 49" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819162
8191981989-07-09 22:09 53° 57' 32" N  0° 31' 20" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819198
8193091989-07-10 22:05 54° 54' 56" N  1° 21' 22" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819309
8193341989-07-11 01:26 55° 0' 4" N  0° 55' 41" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819334
8194021989-07-12 03:39 54° 35' 52" N  1° 20' 7" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819402
8194631989-07-13 17:10 54° 20' 4" N  1° 9' 37" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819463
8190821989-07-10 23:40 54° 54' 50" N  1° 3' 43" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819082
8191011989-07-11 05:52 54° 53' 53" N  1° 10' 57" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819101
8192301989-07-10 04:08 54° 14' 40" N  0° 0' 26" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819230
8193221989-07-11 00:37 54° 55' 1" N  0° 53' 57" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819322
8194141989-07-13 12:13 54° 50' 3" N  1° 9' 46" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819414
8189211989-07-09 02:11 53° 50' 28" N  0° 18' 17" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 818921
8193101989-07-10 22:52 54° 55' 3" N  1° 12' 22" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819310
8193461989-07-11 04:03 55° 0' 0" N  1° 21' 26" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819346
8192661989-07-10 15:06 54° 38' 25" N  0° 43' 0" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819266
8190571989-07-10 16:27 54° 45' 7" N  0° 55' 34" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819057
8190691989-07-10 18:59 54° 49' 57" N  0° 55' 38" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819069
8190331989-07-10 06:44 54° 11' 18" N  0° 19' 4" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819033
8190451989-07-10 12:22 54° 24' 26" N  0° 18' 8" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 819045
Discrete samples 
51  CTD frame plus rosette samplerTransmittance and attenuance of the water column
Salinity of the water column
Temperature of the water column
Density of the water column