The Subduction experiment : mooring field program and data summary ; Sub 1 June 1991-February 1992 ; Sub 2 February 1992-October 1992 ; Sub 3 October 1992-June 1993

Abstract

An array of five surface moorings carrying meteorological and oceanographic instrumentation was deployed for a period of two years beginning in June 1991 as part of an Office of Naval Research (ONR) funded Subduction experiment. Three eight month deployments were carried out. The five mooring locations were 18°N 34°W, 18°N 22°W, 25.5°N 29°W, 33°N 22°W and 33°N 34°W. Two Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and three Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) moorings collected oceanographic and meteorological data, using a 3-meter discus or 2-meter toroid buoy and multiple Vector Measuring Current Meters (VMCMs), an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) and Brancker temperature recorders (tpods). The surface buoys carried a Vector Averaging Wind Recorder (VAWR) and, on four of the five moorings, an Improved Meteorological Recorder (IMET) which measured wind speed and wind direction, sea surface temperature, air temperature, short wave radiation, barometric pressure and relative humidity. The IMET also measured precipitation. The VMCMs, ADCP and tpods, placed at depths 1 m to 3500 m, measured oceanic velocities and temperatures. This report presents meteorological and oceanographic data from the WHOI Upper Ocean Processes Group (UOP) and the SIO Instrument and Development Group (lDG) instruments and contains summaries of the instruments used, their depths, mooring positions, mooring deployment and recovery times, and data return. Appendices contain information on supplementary Subduction data sets.