North of 41 N , surface waters cooled to 3 C and the mixed layer deepened considerably. Stratification at the mixed layer base was weaker north of the front than south, but was extremely weak north of 41 N . Subsequent surveys will allow us to explore how the region around the front evolves in response to cold air outbreak events. Many in the science party spent part of the morning enjoying the ice sculptures left behind by the wind and spray of the last two days. A couple of calm days and several hours of undisturbed sleep will be welcome by all.
All systems are operational.
SeaSoar sits on the fantail ready for deployment. Installation of the additional meteorological sensors went well, and all are now logging data as we cruise north. Rob Pinkel is testing his two new sonar systems, which may give us velocities to 1000 m. Unfortunately, we forgot to request a cloud-free central basin, so coverage over the study area has been limited. A recent image provided partial coverage of the subpolar front between 134 E and 135 E , essentially the same region we sampled in spring 1999.