Long Term Upper Ocean Study (Lotus) : a summary of the historical data and engineering test data

Abstract

Abstract : The Long Term Upper Ocean Study (LOTUS) is an experiment designed to acquire and analyse a continuous two year set of measurements of the fluctuation of currents and temperature in the upper ocean, together with the local hydrography and meteorology. Data acquisition formally began in May 1982 with the deployment of a moored array of current meters, thermistor chains and meteorological sensors. The plans for LOTUS evolved over a number of years. As the experiment began to take form, a two year period (1980, 1981) was devoted to engineering tests to ascertain whether the goals established during early planning stages could indeed be accomplished. This report will summarize the planning and testing that were associated with LOTUS up to the first science deployment in May 1982. It will begin by presenting a brief summary of the details and questions raised by previous experiments which led to the present design of the LOTUS experiment. The site chosen for the experiment will be presented followed by a description of the cruises made during the engineering test period. Data collected prior to and during the planning and testing periods will be presented in later sections according to the type of data (i.e. current meter, XBT, CTD).