The Northwest Tropical Atlantic Station (NTAS)
Subtitle: NTAS-3 mooring turnaround cruise report
By: by Albert J. Plueddemann ... [et al.].
Contributors: Plueddemann, Albert J.; Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Upper Ocean Processes Group.
Series: WHOI -- 2003-04.; UOP -- 2003-02.; Technical report; WHOI (Series) -- 2003-04.; UOP report -- 2003-02.; Technical report (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
Publisher: Upper Ocean Processes Group, WHOI
Published: 2003
Place of publication: Woods Hole, Mass
Language: eng
Number of pages: 69
Subjects: Ocean-atmosphere interaction -- Measurement -- Atlantic Ocean -- Equipment and supplies.; Oceanographic buoys.; Deep-sea mooring -- Atlantic Ocean.
Other titles: NTAS-3 mooring turnaround cruise report.
Description: The Northwest Tropical Atlantic Station (NTAS) was established to address the need for accurate air-sea flux estimates and upper ocean measurements in a region with strong sea surface temperature anomalies and the likelihood of significant local airsea interaction on interannual to decadal timescales. The approach is to maintain a surface mooring outfitted for meteorological and oceanographic measurements at a site near 15N, 51W by successive mooring turnarounds. These observations will be used to investigate airsea interaction processes related to climate variability. Deployment of the first (NTAS-1) and second (NTAS-2) moorings were documented in previous reports (Plueddemann et al., 2001, 2002). This report documents recovery of the NTAS-2 mooring and deployment of the NTAS-3 mooring at the same site. Both moorings used 3-meter discus buoys as the surface element. These buoys were outfitted with two AirSea Interaction Meteorology (ASIMET) systems. Each system measures, records, and transmits via Argos satellite the surface meteorological variables necessary to compute airsea fluxes of heat, moisture and momentum. The upper 150 m of the mooring line were outfitted with oceanographic sensors for the measurement of temperature and velocity. The mooring turnaround was done on the WHOI R/V Oceanus, Cruise OC-385-5, by the Upper Ocean Processes Group of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The cruise took place between 12 and 23 February 2003. Deployment of the NTAS-3 mooring was on 15 February at approximately 1449.5 N, 5101.3 W in 4977 m of water. A 24- hour intercomparison period followed, after which the NTAS-2 mooring was recovered. This report describes these operations, as well as some of the pre-cruise buoy preparations.
Notes: "June 2003."

Includes bibliographical references (p. 45).

Also issued online.

Funding was provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Award no. NA17RJ1223.