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Polarfront PF175B

Cruise plan

Cruise Info. 
Ship name (ship code)Polarfront (58P3)
Cruise identifierPF175B
Cruise period2008-09-06 — 2008-09-29
StatusCompleted
Port of departureFlorø, Norway
Port of returnFlorø, Norway
PurposeResearch
ObjectivesThe Polarfront is the world's last weather ship. It is owned and operated by Misje Rederi AS under contract to the Norwegian Meteorological Institute (DNMI). This ship and its predecessors have occupied Station Mike (at 66 N 2 E) for nearly 60 years. As well as the DNMI's meteorological observations, a hydrographic program is also run by the Geophysical Institute of the University of Bergen.

The aim of HiWASE is to make direct measurement of the turbulent air-sea fluxes of sensible and latent heat, momentum and CO2 in order to improve the parameterisation of these fluxes in terms of mean meteorological and sea-state variables.

In September 2006, instrumentation from the National Oceanographic Centre Southampton was installed on the Ocean Weather Ship MS Polarfront as part of the UK SOLAS project HiWASE led by Dr Margaret Yelland(see http://www.noc.soton.ac.uk/ooc/CRUISES/HiWASE/). The instruments will operate continuously for 3 years. Data will therefore be obtained in a wide range of conditions, particularly the poorly-understood high wind speed regime.

Data are received via an iridium satellite message once per day and near real-time mean meteorological and wave data can be viewed on the HiWASE web site.
Chief scientistMargaret J Yelland (National Oceanography Centre, Southampton)
ProjectHiWASE
Coordinating bodyNOCS/DNMI
Ocean/sea areas 
GeneralNorwegian Sea
SpecificStation Mike (66N;2E)