Accession Number:

ADA226475

Title:

An Exploration of the North Atlantic Current and Its Recirculation in the Newfoundland Basin Using SOFAR Floats.

Descriptive Note:

Technical rept.,

Corporate Author:

WOODS HOLE OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTION MA

Personal Author(s):

• Owens, W. B.
• Zemanovic, Marguerite E.

Report Date:

1990-07-01

Pagination or Media Count:

151.0

Abstract:

Trajectories and time series of velocity, temperature, and pressure are presented for 13 neutrally-buoyant, acoustically tracked SOFAR floats that were launched in May and June, 1986 in the Newfoundland Basin by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution SOFAR float operations group. The deployment of these floats and the array of Autonomous Listening Stations ALSs used to track the floats was designed to investigate the North Atlantic Current and its possible recirculation. Although there was a number of technical difficulties which reduced the data return for this experiment, we have obtained a total of nearly 12 years of float data for the region at three depths, nominally 700, 1200, and 2000m. The data obtained from two deployments of ALSs, covering nearly three years, are presented in this report. Of particular note is the strong eddy variability at 700m depth that is comparable to those found in the Gulf Stream Extension and the entrainment of 2000m depth floats into the deep western boundary current. Keywords SOFAR Floats, North Atlantic current, Newfoundland Basin. jhd

Descriptors:

• *OCEAN BASINS
• BOUNDARIES
• DEEP OCEANS
• DEPTH
• EDDIES(FLUID MECHANICS)
• MONITORS
• OCEANOGRAPHIC DATA
• GULF STREAM
• NEWFOUNDLAND(PROVINCE)
• NORTH ATLANTIC CURRENT
• OCEAN CURRENTS
• SELF OPERATION
• TIME SERIES ANALYSIS
• TRAJECTORIES
• VARIATIONS
• VELOCITY

Subject Categories:

• Physical and Dynamic Oceanography

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE