AIR-SEA INTERACTIONS

PAYLOAD:

RBRconcerto C.T.D
Turner Cyclops 7-F Chl-A
RBRcoda ODO
Nortek Signature1000

INSTITUTION:

University of Washington Applied Physics Lab, AIRS Department

DEPLOYMENT LOCATION:

Salish Sea, British Columbia

SCIENTIFIC SUMMARY:

In coastal margins, where natural and built environments often interact, ocean fronts (e.g. sharp boundaries between two different water masses) may play a complex and critical role in connecting the ocean and the atmosphere. However, the specific nature of mixing at fronts represents a significant gap in the understanding of material exchange within coastal and estuarine waters due to observational constraints associated with these energetic, transient features.

The capability of the Wirewalker to collect high-resolution, 2D profiles allows detailed measurements of a frontal interface as it evolves in space and time. The Wirewalker, for the Applied Physics Lab at the University of Washington, is specifically configured to collect detailed measurements aimed at improving our understanding of the interaction(s) between surface wave breaking, bubble-entrainment, and downwelling convergence using a suite of state-of-the art instrumentation.

*This project is ongoing and we look forward to sharing some data as it’s made available.