Near-full-depth profile observations of water properties and currents at four deep-ocean sites

Abstract

The Ocean Observatory Initiative (OOI) funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation established four deep ocean observing sites between summer 2013 and spring 2015: Argentine Basin (42˚ 58.9’ S, 42˚ 29.9’ W, water depth 5200 m), Southern Ocean (54 ˚ 28.1’ S, 89˚ 22.1’ W, 4800 m), Station Papa (50˚ 4.2’ N, 144˚ 47.9 W, 4219 m), and Irminger Sea (59˚ 58.5’ N, 39 ˚ 28.9’ W, 2800 m). Each site was instrumented with four closely-spaced moorings of various design supporting a variety of sensors. As no single OOI mooring in these arrays provides temperature, salinity and horizontal velocity information over the full water column, observations from two or more moorings were combined to produce vertical profiles at ½-dbar vertical resolution of sea water temperature, salinity, east and north velocity and vertical displacement. These profile data are reported here.