Technical activities associated with the ZONAL Pacific array

Abstract

Geographic exploration of the eddy and mean fields in the world's oceans using moored instrumentation was concentrated in the North Atlantic in the 1970s. Initial efforts to obtain zero-order coverage in the North Pacific were begun with an array across the Kuroshio Extension along 152°E with instruments in the water from mid-1980 to mid-1982. An array designed to extend this exploration zonally with long-term moorings east of 152°E at mid-latitudes was first set in the fall of 1983, redeployed in the fall of 1984, and recovered for the final time in late 1985. The array was located along four lines of longitude, 165°E, 175°E, 175°W, and 152°W. Along the three westernmost longitudes, 24 one-year moorings were used, 12 each year, with three current meters per mooring at nominal depths of 150, 650, and 4,000 meters. The eastern longitude, 152°E, was sampled by two additional moorings, each with 3 current meters at the above depths, which were deployed for a two-year period, a first for the Buoy Group. This report addresses the technical activities associated with the 1983-1985 array, referred to hereafter as "ZONAL".