Project Title

Formation, transformation, and northward spreading of dense saline water derived from Terra Nova Bay, Ross Sea, Antarctica

Summary

Event Number:
O-401-E
NSF / OPP Award 2332418

Program Director:
Dr. Michael Jackson

ASC POC/Implementer:
Kenneth Vicknair / Jane Dell

Principal Investigator(s)

Dr. Christopher Zappa
zappa@ldeo.columbia.edu
Columbia University
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Palisades, New York

Location

Supporting Stations: Special Project
Research Locations: Western Ross Sea, Special Project supported by Korean Polar Research Institute (KOPRI) aboard the RV Araon

Description

The primary goal of this project is to investigate the formation, transformation, and northward spreading of dense saline water derived from Terra Nova Bay (TNB), along the Drygalski Trough off the western coast of the Ross Sea and off the shelf to the Southern Ocean, to form the Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW). The project will deploy a series of moorings – two heavily instrumented full water column moorings within TNB to capture high salinity shelf water (HSSW) production and a series of bottom-focused moorings to evaluate the transformation and northward spreading of the dense saline water. The broad science goals to be addressed by this program through a coordinated analysis of these mooring measurements include the following: 1) How do the water column profile and dense salty shelf water (HSSW) characteristics evolve on time scales ranging from hourly/daily through seasonal? 2) What regulates the transformation and northward spreading of the dense saline water derived in TNB?

This project involves international cooperation between the United States, South Korea, New Zealand, and Italy.

Field Season Overview

Two participants will deploy to Christchurch, New Zealand and board the R/V Araon. Field work will consist of the deployment and recovery of five oceanographic moorings over the span of three years. These moorings will consist of two heavy moorings (instrumented from the ocean floor to 50 m beneath the ocean surface in water depths of roughly 400m-500m and 800m-1000m) deployed in Terra Nova Bay and three deep bottom moorings (instrumented within the bottom 10m-100m of sea floor). One deep bottom mooring will be deployed near Cape Washington in the northern extent of Terra Nova Bay, and the remaining two deep bottom moorings will be deployed along the Drygalski Basin/Trough. The deployment and recovery of the moorings will be supported by Korean Polar Research Institute (KOPRI) aboard the R/V Araon and the New Zealand vessel Tangaroa. PI Zappa will redeploy to the U.S. with an 18-day gap then deploy with one team member to meet the New Zealand vessel Tangaroa in Wellington, New Zealand to mobilize equipment on the Tangaroa. U.S. Antarctic Program support for this work consists of the movement of cargo and personnel to/from the port of departure/arrival of the R/V Araon in all three field seasons and the storage of equipment in New Zealand between seasons.

Deploying Team Members