The Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO) Coastal Observing System at the southern Bay of Biscay, new real-time development: The ocean-meteorological AGL Buoy

Abstract

From 1991, shelf and slope waters of the Southern Bay of Biscay are regularly sampled in a monthly hydrographical line north of Santander to a maximum depth of 1000m, as part of the IEO Radiales project. From 2003, a deep hydrological standard sections (part of the VACLAN project) is occupied twice a year extending the Santander section 90 miles offshore. Measurements include CTDO2, nutrients and currents from vessel-mounted ADCP and LADCP. The data base in the area hold by IEO is complemented with a current meters line moored in 2003 at 43°48'N, 3° 47'W sampling temperature, salinity and currents at the core of Central, Mediterranean and Labrador Sea water. On June 2007, an ocean-meteorological Buoy was moored at the Santander Section, 22 miles north of Santander at about 2850m depth, to complete the ocean information with the ocean-atmosphere interaction. The Santander section and AGL Buoy data highlight that heat and salt show a quite different behaviour in terms of their balance in the upper layers of the Bay of Biscay. At interannual and seasonal timescales temperature is mainly determined by the atmospheric forcing while salinity is more closely linked to advection processes. Finally, a severe storm developed in the Bay of Biscay on January 24, 2009 is described. The AGL buoy registered an individual maximum wave of 26.1m, the largest ever recorded by the Spanish buoy Networks.