CTD Observations Research Articles

New Capability in Autonomous Ocean Carbon Observations Using the Autosub Long-Range AUV Equipped with Novel pH and Total Alkalinity Sensors.

The development of marine autonomous platforms has improved our capability to gather ocean observations at fine spatial scales and high temporal frequency, which can be used to better measure, characterize, and model ocean carbon. As part of the OCEANIDS program, novel carbonate sensors were integrated into the Autosub Long-Range (ALR) autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) and deployed in the Celtic Sea. Autonomous Lab-On-Chip (LOC) sensors measured pH and total alkalinity (TA) while onboard the ALR. Using interpolation, the ALR-sensor data set is compared against CTD co-samples. The average differences between the LOC sensor and co-sample pH range from -0.011 to -0.015. The TA sensor data agrees with co-samples within 1-2 μmol kg-1 on average. Biogeochemical water properties differing between CTD and ALR observations reveal correlations to carbonate parameter variations. The LOC sensors enabled the characterization of the marine carbonate system from autonomous subsurface measurements for the first time. Sensor pH and TA data were used to calculate dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2), and aragonite saturation state (ΩAr) and are compared with CTD co-samples with mean residuals of 4-7 μmol kg-1, 10-17 μatm, and -0.03 to -0.06, respectively. Future perspectives on sensor deployment and analysis are discussed.

Marine environment around the Tokara Islands based on CTD observations and ocean general circulation model

Marine environment around the Tokara Islands based on CTD observations and ocean general circulation model

Model-based many-objective optimization for control parameters of underwater glider considering long-term high-quality CTD measurements

Model-based many-objective optimization for control parameters of underwater glider considering long-term high-quality CTD measurements

Spatial and temporal environmental heterogeneity induced by internal tides influences faunal patterns on vertical walls within a submarine canyon

Vertical walls of submarine canyons represent features of high conservation value that can provide natural areas of protection for vulnerable marine ecosystems under increasing anthropogenic pressure from deep-sea trawling. Wall assemblages are spatially heterogeneous, attributed to the high environmental heterogeneity over short spatial scales that is a typical feature of canyons. Effective management and conservation of these assemblages requires a deeper understanding of the processes that affect faunal distribution patterns. Canyons are recognised as sites of intensified hydrodynamic regimes, with focused internal tides enhancing near-bed currents, turbulent mixing and nepheloid layer production, which influence faunal distribution patterns. Faunal patterns also respond to broad-scale hydrodynamics and gradients in water mass properties (e.g. temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen concentration). Oscillating internal tidal currents can advect such gradients, both vertically and horizontally along a canyon's walls. Here we take an interdisciplinary approach using biological, hydrodynamic and bathymetry-derived datasets to undertake a high-resolution analysis of a subset of wall assemblages within Whittard Canyon, North-East Atlantic. We investigate if, and to what extent, patterns in diversity and epibenthic assemblages on deep-sea canyon walls can be explained by spatial and temporal variability induced by internal tides. Vertical displacement of water mass properties by the internal tide was calculated from autonomous ocean glider and shipboard CTD observations. Spatial patterns in faunal assemblage structure were determined by cluster analysis and non-metric Multi-Dimensional Scaling plots. Canonical Redundancy Analysis and Generalised Linear Models were then used to explore relationships between faunal diversity and assemblage structure and a variety of environmental variables. Our results support the hypothesis that internal tides influence spatial heterogeneity in wall faunal diversity and assemblages by generating both spatial and temporal gradients in hydrodynamic properties and consequently likely food supply.

Variability of surface and subsurface phytoplankton blooms in a seasonal coastal upwelling system

Variability of surface and subsurface phytoplankton blooms in a seasonal coastal upwelling system

The Influence of Preexisting Stratification and Tropical Rain Modes on the Mixed Layer Salinity Response to Rainfall

AbstractThe freshwater input from rain to the surface ocean is a key component of the global water cycle. Frequent rainfall in the inter‐tropical convergence zone creates regions of strong surface stratification and low salinity, which vary seasonally. We evaluate how variations in rain type and preexisting upper ocean stratification influence the timing and duration of the salinity response to rainfall using the General Ocean Turbulence Model. A series of model simulations was run by prescribing three typical background stratification conditions and idealized rain and wind forcing that was consistent with observed convective, stratiform, and mixed convective and stratiform rainfall. Background stratification was assessed using underway CTD observations and rain forcing was identified from mooring observations collected in the eastern tropical Pacific during the second Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study. Model results show that strong stratification, whether preexisting or from convective rainfall, inhibits downward mixing of freshwater and allows near‐surface salinity anomalies to persist following rain. In contrast, when stratiform rain precedes convective rain, salinity anomalies are quickly mixed downward and longer lasting deeper in the mixed layer. This implies that accurately quantifying the salinity structure following rain should consider preexisting stratification and the type of rainfall. Furthermore, patterns of rainfall and stratification likely affect the bias between salinity observations at the surface and deeper in the mixed layer. Because satellite rain data do not correctly represent the small scales of rain forcing, the small‐scale surface salinity response to rain cannot be predicted from satellite data.

The Shelf Circulation of the Bellingshausen Sea

AbstractOver recent decades, the West Antarctic Ice Sheet has experienced rapid thinning of its floating ice shelves as well as grounding line retreat across its marine‐terminating glaciers. The transport of warm Modified Circumpolar Deep Water (MCDW) onto the continental shelf, extensively documented along the West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP), and in the Amundsen Sea, has been identified as the key process for inducing these changes. The Bellingshausen Sea sits between the Amundsen Sea and the northern part of the WAP, but its oceanic properties remain remarkably under‐studied compared to surrounding regions. Here, we present observations collected from a hydrographic survey of the Bellingshausen Sea continental shelf in austral summer 2019. Using a combination of ship‐based and glider‐based CTD and lowered ADCP observations, we show that submarine troughs provide topographically steered pathways for MCDW from the shelf break toward deep embayments and ultimately under floating ice shelves. Warm MCDW enters the continental shelf at the deepest part of the Belgica Trough and flows onshore along the eastern side of the trough. Modification of these shoreward‐flowing waters by glacial melt is estimated by calculating meltwater fractions using an optimal multiparameter analysis. Meltwater is found to be elevated at the western edge of both the Latady and Belgica troughs. Meltwater distributions, consistent with other diagnostics, suggest a recirculation in each trough with modified waters eventually flowing westward upon leaving the Belgica Trough. Our results show that the Bellingshausen Sea is a critical part of the larger West Antarctic circulation system, linking the WAP and the Amundsen Sea.

Rapid Modeling of the Sound Speed Field in the South China Sea Based on a Comprehensive Optimal LM-BP Artificial Neural Network

Ocean sound speed is an essential foundation for marine scientific research and marine engineering applications. In this article, a model based on a comprehensive optimal back propagation artificial neural network model is developed. The Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm is used to optimize the model, and the momentum term, normalization, and early termination method were used to predict the high precision marine sound speed profile. The sound speed profile was described by five indicators: date, time, latitude, longitude, and depth. The model used data from the CTD observation dataset of scientific investigation over the South China Sea (2009–2012) (108°–120° E, 6°–8° N), which includes comprehensive scientific investigation data from four voyages. The feasibility of modeling the sound speed field in the South China Sea is investigated. The proposed model uses the momentum term, normalization, and early termination in a traditional BP artificial neural network structure and mitigates issues with overtraining and difficulty when determining the BP neural network parameters. With the LM algorithm, a fast-modeling method for the sound field effectively achieves the precision requirement for sound speed prediction. Through the prediction and verification of the data from 2009 to 2012, the newly proposed optimized BP network model is shown to dramatically reduce the training time and improve precision compared to the traditional network model. Results showed that the root mean squared error decreased from 1.7903 m/s to 0.95732 m/s, and the training time decreased from 612.43 s to 4.231 s. Finally, the sound ray tracing simulations confirm that the model meets the accuracy requirements of acoustic sounding and verify the model’s feasibility for the real-time prediction of the vertical sound speed in saltwater bodies.

Record-breaking warming in the Kamchatka Current halocline

We used historical CTD observations and Argo data to obtain the characteristics of the Kamchatka Current halocline and its eddies. Kamchatka Current eddies have a cold low salinity core in contrast with Aleutian eddies that contain warm and saline waters of Alaskan Stream origin. The Kamchatka Current eddies are smaller with diameter of ~ 100–120 km. Kamchatka Current eddies have a thick cold layer in a halocline. The temperature in their core increased by ~ 2.4 °C from the beginning of observations in 1990, while salinity decreased. We found that 2012 was the coldest year in the Kamchatka Current. Record-breaking warming occurred in the Kamchatka Current during 2015 to 2018. Temperature in the halocline rose by ~ 3 °C from 2012 to 2018 at 26.6σθ, while in the western Bering Sea temperature rose by 2.3 °C. It is plausible that the warming in the Kamchatka Current halocline during 2012 to 2018 is associated with the lowest recorded sea ice coverage in the Bering Sea. Similar warming occurred in the Oyashio Current. Salinity, temperature and specific density in the 2012 Simushir eddy were extremely low for the 30-year row of observations from 1990 to 2020. Extremely low salinity was also found in the 2012 Aleutian eddy off the Near Strait.

Osobennosti sezonnoy izmenchivosti gidrologicheskogo rezhima bukhty Novik (ostrov Russkiy, zaliv Petra Velikogo, Yaponskoye more)

Purpose. The paper is aimed at studying the hydrological regime of the Novik Bay (Russky Island, Peter the Great Bay, Sea of Japan). Methods and Results. Regular ship and ice cover CTD observations (more 1000 water column profiling stations) carried out in the Novik and Amur bays in 2013–2018 were used. Weather conditions in the region under study were analyzed based on the data of the Vladivostok weather station archive (WMO_ID=31960). Quantitative estimates of the drift and gradient currents in the bay are represented. Conclusions. Seasonal changes in the thermohaline stratification of the Peter the Great Bay coastal waters are conditioned by the monsoon climate features. The Novik Bay hydrological regime is additionally affected by its isolation and shallowness, as well as by the Russky Island relief. Weak water dynamics in the bay is observed during the summer monsoon (April – August) that is a result of the south winds blocking by the hills. The autumn-winter monsoon (when the north winds dominate) induces the water surge to the bay that, in its turn, blocks its circulation. The winter Siberian cold anticyclone forms the ice cover in the bay, and just in such an ice-forming season the salinity increase in the bottom layer is observed. In the shallow southern part of the Novik Bay, the process of ice formation begins. The downwelling flow of salty heavy water directed to the north out of the bay along the bottom relief is compensated by the counter flow of fresh waters from the Amur Bay which inflow to the upper sub-ice layer. The freeze-up period is most favorable for water renewal. The efficiency of this process is additionally influenced by a heat flow from bottom sediments and by the ice conditions in the adjacent water areas of the Peter the Great Bay

New Circulation Features in the Okhotsk Sea from a Numerical Model

Using the eddy-permitting model, circulation in the Okhotsk Sea and in an adjacent area of the Pacific Ocean is retrospectively simulated from 1991 to 2000. It is shown that the Sea has four types of circulation, each one for its own season with a strengthening of all currents in winter and a weakening in summer. We estimate and analyze the values of the simulated monthly-averaged volume transport of the main currents: the coastal branch of the East Sakhalin Current, the over-slope branch of the East Sakhalin Current, the coastal branch of the North Okhotsk Current, the over-slope branch of the North Okhotsk current, the Middle Current and the West Kamchatka Current. In contrast to the conventional circulation schemes, the North Okhotsk Current is found to consist of two branches, one over a continental slope and another along the northern shelf. The simulation results on the double-branch structure of this current are found to be in a reasonable agreement with instrumental measurements, CTD observations, satellite data and other oceanography reanalysis.

Observation and Modeling of Low Saline Water Flow through Gulf of Mannar during December 2016

Anand, P.; Anubhav, C.A., and Albert, P.I., 2020. Observation and modeling of low saline water flow through Gulf of Mannar during December 2016. In: Sheela Nair, L.; Prakash, T.N.; Padmalal, D., and Kumar Seelam, J. (eds.), Oceanic and Coastal Processes of the Indian Seas. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 89, pp. 20-25. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.Indian Ocean is unique as it features the reversal of currents in relation to the monsoonal winds. During the north-east monsoon season (November-February), the East Indian Coastal Current (EICC) is known to flow round Srilanka into the South Eastern Arabian Sea (SEAS) which transports low saline waters from the Bay of Bengal (BoB). Till now, due to lack of observational data along the Gulf of Mannar (GoM), it is not evident, whether part of the water that flows from BoB is passing through the Palk Strait/Bay and GoM to reach SEAS. There are two schools of thought existing, one is that, the flow exists through this passage. Efforts have been made to prove this using simulation studies. The second thought is that the Pamban Pass as well as the Adam's Bridge act as barriers for this passage of water. To study the subject in detail, CTD observations during December 2016 along GoM and west coast of India are utilized. Analysis shows that, the surface waters along transect of GoM is lower in salinity (33 psu) than that of SEAS (34 psu) with the lowest surface salinity along the easternmost transect. Different case studies, carried out using high resolution (10 km) Princeton Ocean Model (POM), suggested that the flow exists through the GoM. The signature of low saline water (33.2 psu) in this region is also well matched with that of the observations. The study concludes that, the flow through the Palk Bay/Strait and GoM have a distinct role in bringing the water from the Bay to SEAS.

Integrated Expeditionary Research in the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk on Cruise No. 55 of the R/V Akademik Oparin

According to the Plan of Complex Scientific Research of the World Ocean for 2017–2022, the V.I. Il’ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, continues to study the northern part of the Sea of Japan and the Tatar Strait, carrying out a three-year plan of expeditionary research of this region. The expedition aboard the R/V Akademik Oparin (cruise no. 55) spanned from October 2 to 19, 2018. Geophysical and gas-geological study of the water area in the central and southern parts of the Tatar Strait was continued. On the rookery of Tyuleny Island, in the Sea of Okhotsk, information on sea lions and larghas were recorded, three individuals of northern fur seal were tagged with satellite trackers to study their migration routes. CTD observations of the upper layer (down to 600 m) were made on transects across mesoscale eddies in the northern part of the Sea of Japan. Expeditionary research was supported by the Council of the Earth’s Hydorsphere of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.

SONIC LAYER DEPTH VARIATION ANALYSIS UTILIZING BIDE (BANDA ITF DYNAMIC EXPERIMENT) ARGO FLOAT IN SITU OBSERVATION FOR UNDERSEA WARFARE TACTICAL ENVIRONMENT SUPPORT

ABSTRACT
 Sonic Layer Depth is the vertical distance from surface to the depth where the speed of sound reach it’s local maximum. Global Navy as well as Indonesan Navy operates in this kind of layers on a daily basis, wether it be in an anti submarine warfare operation through its ships and aircrafts or in an anti-surface warfare operation waged by its submarines. For the navy, the importance of knowing the exact value of the SLD is because it determines the minimum cut off frequency and sound wave propagation above which sound tends to be trapped and below which a shadow zone exist. This has a direct impact on where the navy operates its sensors and places its platforms in the water column. The best way to estimate SLD is by performing own measurement on the ocean using instrument such as expendable bathytermographs, which can be relatively expensive and time consuming for an operational navy ships, furthermore such measurement may be impractical in the case of mission planning or emergencies. Dedicated oceanography survey for the purpose of science and defense is relatively scarce due to prioritization concerning to the budget available resulting lack of time series in situ CTD observation which cover full annual cycle variation in Indonesia waters. Banda Indonesia Through Flow Dynamic Experiment (BIDE) is multi institution and bilateral oceanography experiment led by Indonesian scientist which utilizes argo float to perform in situ CTD measurement in Banda Sea to get an adequate time series data that cover full annual cycle variation. The dataset is publicly available so defense community as well may utilize the data for defense interest such as sonic layer depth variation analysis in Banda Sea. 
 Keyword : sonic layer depth, BIDE, argo float, undersea warfare, tactical environment

ЭКСПЕРИМЕНТАЛЬНЫЕ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЯ ИЗМЕНЧИВОСТИ ТЕРМОХАЛИННОЙ СТРУКТУРЫ ВОД НАД КОНТИНЕНТАЛЬНЫМ СКЛОНОМ СЕВЕРО-ЗАПАДНОЙ ЧАСТИ ЯПОНСКОГО МОРЯ

The pioneering long-term survey of the NW Japan Sea thermohaline structure was implemented for almost half a year from April 18, 2015 through October 15, 2015. The measurements were carried out by using the SBE 52-MP CTD probe at the moored profiler Aqualog. The profiler mooring was deployed at the continental slope in the area east of Peter the Great Bay. A novel approach to the primary processing of the profiler CTD data is discussed. It features a new data processing software CTD data_cor_SBE_52-МР. The profiler data is verified based on ship measurements at a cross-slope transect on May 30, 2015. The processing and verification of the SBE 52-MP CTD observations allows for the data quality improvement up to the WOCE standards. The profiler mooring data and the ship measurements reveal variations in the ocean temperature, salinity, and density stratification due to ocean eddy passage nearby the mooring site. The NOAA/AVHRR infrared satellite imagery is used for detection and analysis of this eddy and its movement southwestward along the Primorye Current zone. Overall, the study demonstrates a powerful potential of combined analysis of long-term time series of the in situ data at fixed geographical location, the ship borne oceanographic section, and the multispectral satellite information in compliance with the 4D oceanography requirements.

Impacts of the Changjiang diluted water on sinking processes of particulate organic matters in the East China Sea

Impacts of the Changjiang diluted water on sinking processes of particulate organic matters in the East China Sea

Transition of the Tsushima Warm Current Path Observed over Toyama Trough, Japan

AbstractMooring, CTD, and ADCP observations were made in 2012 in and around the Toyama Trough (TT) cutting across a continental shelf along the Japanese coast of the Japan Sea between Noto Peninsula (NP) and Sado Island (SI) to investigate spatiotemporal characteristics of path transition of the coastal branch of the Tsushima Warm Current (CBTWC). Around SI, downstream of the TT boundary, a wavelike alongshore current perturbation, accompanied by sea level rise, was observed. This perturbation occurred after the seasonal amplification of the CBTWC around the NP on the upstream boundary of the TT. This process was delineated by the results of numerical experiments performed with a two-layer model using idealized topography. The model showed that a current path of the CBTWC shifted from alongshore mode to offshore mode bridged over the TT in association with the lee eddy development behind the NP toward the SI over the TT. This lee eddy is generated by positive vorticity induced over topographic discontinuity between the continental shelf off the northern coast of the NP and deeper region of the TT. The model indicated the period of eddy formation is 60–90 days if the volume transport is 1 Sv (1 Sv ≡ 106 m3 s−1), whereas the observations showed the formation period was only 47 days at 1.2 Sv of volume transport. To explain this discrepancy, temporal variation of the CBTWC, vortex supply from preexisting eddies, or eddies caused by the scattering of coastal-trapped waves were suggested as new processes that accelerate the growth rate of the lee eddy.

Pacific-Indian interocean circulation of the Antarctic Intermediate Water around South Australia

On the basis of the salinity distribution of isopycnal (σ 0=27.2 kg/m3) surface and in salinity minimum, the Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) around South Australia can be classified into five types corresponding to five regions by using in situ CTD observations. Type 1 is the Tasman AAIW, which has consistent hydrographic properties in the South Coral Sea and the North Tasman Sea. Type 2 is the Southern Ocean (SO) AAIW, parallel to and extending from the Subantarctic Front with the freshest and coldest AAIW in the study area. Type 3 is a transition between Type 1 and Type 2. The AAIW transforms from fresh to saline with the latitude declining (equatorward). Type 4, the South Australia AAIW, has relatively uniform AAIW properties due to the semienclosed South Australia Basin. Type 5, the Southeast Indian AAIW, progressively becomes more saline through mixing with the subtropical Indian intermediate water from south to north. In addition to the above hydrographic analysis of AAIW, the newest trajectories of Argo (Array for real-time Geostrophic Oceanography) floats were used to constructed the intermediate (1 000 m water depth) current field, which show the major interocean circulation of AAIW in the study area. Finally, a refined schematic of intermediate circulation shows that several currents get together to complete the connection between the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. They include the South Equatorial Current and the East Australia Current in the Southwest Pacific Ocean, the Tasman Leakage and the Flinders Current in the South Australia Basin, and the extension of Flinders Current in the southeast Indian Ocean.

Intermittent large amplitude internal waves observed in Port Susan, Puget Sound

Intermittent large amplitude internal waves observed in Port Susan, Puget Sound

Analysis of upwelling event in Southern Makassar Strait

The southeast monsoon (SEM) winds which blow in southern Makassar Strait, generate the coastal upwelling phenomenon. The wind data for one year, which is equipped with CTD data from MAJAFLOX cruise results, is used to analyze the phenomenon of upwelling in this region. During the SEM 2015 occurrence, the southeasterly winds speed were in average of 6 m/s, while the highest speed appeared in August and September. Using the Ekman theory’s analysis of upwelling during this monsoon period, we could estimate the Ekman transport was about 8.50 m2/s toward offshore (to the Southwest direction); the upwelled water, occurred from deeper layer, started from the coastal area with vertical velocity was about 6.87 x 10-5 m/s – 7.84 x 10-5 m/s; and The Ekman layer depth in the upwelling region was approximately 60 m and these were good agreement with CTD observation result.