Polar Front experiment
Polar Front experiment
Polar Front Experiment: Upper layers velocity field observation using the Sailbuoy integrated current profiler.
Acquiring a proper perspective of the oceanic currents, particularly in the upper ocean, is important for both scientific and industrial aspects. Those two aspects meet in answering some basic questions such as pollution transport in the marine environment. Additionally, it is essential to have an enhanced 4D picture of the oceanic currents for validation of ocean and atmospheric models and upgrade the models’ predicting skills. Traditional in-situ measurement techniques are resource-consuming and are limited, particularly in the harsh high-north environment. Remote sensing technologies such as satellite and HF radar are promising but also have their limitations. Here we introduce a complementary technique to the existing methods for measuring ocean currents based on a recently developed glider technology. The Sailbuoy is an unmanned surface vehicle powered by wind and solar panels that can navigate autonomously and record velocity profiles using an integrated downward-looking Acoustic Doppler Profiler (ADCP). Thanks for this Sailbuoy, we collected data on the Polar Front from 16 May to 23 June 2021 in the Barents Sea. Our results show that the Sailbuoy provides (the very needed) high-resolution flowfield maps for the upper oceanic layers, which can be missed by a ship-mounted current profiler. Additionally, the Sailbuoy ADCP covers a larger geographic area for extended periods of time, with the functionality of remote path correction/modification during the survey. Hence, the Sailbuoy integrated ADCP could be considered a good low-cost alternative to traditional measurement techniques that can cover large geographical areas autonomously. The study demonstrated the ability of the Sailbuoy-ADCP to provide an enhanced picture of the 4D ocean current structure around the Polar front and to somewhat characterize the water masses. A variable current picture was observed, both across the front and vertically. Based on the results it is postulated that the front is semi-impermeable for drifting biotic or abiotic entities/ particles. The current work will form the basis for a scientific publication.
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