Sea Ice Mass Balance in the Antarctic - Argo Floats

Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Metadata:

• Identification_Information
• Data_Quality_Information
• Spatial_Reference_Information
• Distribution_Information
• Metadata_Reference_Information

Identification_Information:

Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator: Unknown

Publication_Date: Unknown

Title: Sea Ice Mass Balance in the Antarctic - Argo Floats

Description:

Abstract:

Argo profiling floats were deployed during the SIMBA cruise. A total of 23 floats were deployed along the cruise track from Punta Arenas to the Bellingshausen Sea. These floats drifted at a depth of 1000 meters; at 10-day intervals, each float sank to a depth of 2000 m and then ascended to the sea surface over a period of approximately 6 hours, collecting a CTD profile as it ascended. Many of the floats were also equipped with dissolved oxygen sensors. Once on the sea surface, the floats transmitted their data to a satellite and descended again to 1000 m to begin another 10-day cycle. Each float was capable of collecting 200 or more profiles in this manner. The floats were equipped with ice-avoidance software in order to decrease the probability that they could be crushed by drifting ice while transmitting on the sea surface. As the floats ascended between depths of 50 and 30 meters, they examined the median temperature in this depth range; if the temperature was below a critical temperature that was indicative of ice cover above (chosen to be -1.77°C), the float turn off its buoyancy pump in order to stop its ascent. In such a case, the float decelerated and then stopped at a depth of about 3 meters; the float then stored the data collected and descended back to 1000 m. This process continued for as many profiles and 10-day intervals as necessary until the float was able to reach the sea surface, at which time it transmitted all stored profiles. Each float stored as many as 70 high-resolution profiles in this manner, or nearly 2 years’ worth of data. The floats all used the relatively high-bandwidth Iridium satellite system for communication. After the NB Palmer departed Punta Arenas, floats were deployed in Drake Passage and then along the ice edge, near the 2000 m isobath. A few floats were reprogrammed so that they can be deployed in shallower water on the shelf, where the ice cover is more permanent. Leading up to and during week 1 of field work (Sep 23-29) seventeen expendable bathythermographs (XBTs) were deployed in conjunction with 17 Argo floats between 62 south and 69S. The remaining floats were deployed in conjunction with a CTD cast from the vessel. The main goal of this work was to begin to extend the Argo array into ice-covered waters and to sample the high-latitude water column below sea ice under winter conditions. An analogous array of 23 floats, also supplied by the University of Washington, were deployed in the Antarctic south of Australia during the same time frame from the vessel Aurora Australis.

Purpose:

Not Available

Supplemental_Information:

Not Available

Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Range_of_Dates/Times:

Beginning_Date: 20070901

Ending_Date: 20071031

Currentness_Reference:Unknown

Status:

Progress: In Work

Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: As needed

Spatial_Domain:

Description_of_Geographic_Extent:

Bounding_Coordinates:

West_Bounding_Coordinate: -94.85

East_Bounding_Coordinate: -64.05

North_Bounding_Coordinate: -61.85

South_Bounding_Coordinate: -70.683

Keywords:

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: GCMD SCIENCE PARAMETERS

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: GCMD PLATFORM

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: GCMD INSTRUMENT

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: PROJECT

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ANCILLARY KEYWORDS

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO TOPIC CATEGORY

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: DATA SET LANGUAGE

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > CRYOSPHERE > SEA ICE > ICE DEPTH/THICKNESS

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > CRYOSPHERE > SNOW/ICE > ICE DEPTH/THICKNESS

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN CHEMISTRY > OXYGEN

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > SEA ICE > ICE DEPTH/THICKNESS

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > SEA ICE > ICE TEMPERATURE

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > CRYOSPHERE > SEA ICE > SNOW DEPTH

Theme_Keyword: SV > SNOW VEHICLE

Theme_Keyword: GPS > GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM SATELLITES

Theme_Keyword: R/V NBP > R/V NATHANIEL B. PALMER

Theme_Keyword: ARGOS > ARGOS DATA COLLECTION AND POSITION LOCATION SYSTEM

Theme_Keyword: GPS/IMU > GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM/INERTIAL MEASUREMENT UNIT

Theme_Keyword: NSF/OPP > OFFICE OF POLAR PROGRAMS, NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Theme_Keyword: IPY > INTERNATIONAL POLAR YEAR

Theme_Keyword: ANTARCTIC SEA ICE > ANTARCTIC SEA ICE IN INTERNATIONAL POLAR YEAR

Theme_Keyword: SIMBA > SEA ICE MASS BALANCE IN THE ANTARCTIC

Theme_Keyword: SIMBA DRIFT STATION > SEA ICE MASS BALANCE IN THE ANTARCTIC-SIMBA DRIFT STATION

Theme_Keyword: Argo Floats

Theme_Keyword: CLIMATOLOGY/METEOROLOGY/ATMOSPHERE

Theme_Keyword: ENVIRONMENT

Theme_Keyword: OCEANS

Theme_Keyword: ENGLISH

Place:

Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: GCMD

Place_Keyword: CONTINENT > ANTARCTICA

Place_Keyword: GEOGRAPHIC REGION > POLAR

Place_Keyword: OCEAN > SOUTHERN OCEAN > BELLINGSHAUSEN SEA

Access_Constraints: None

Use_Constraints:

Not Available

Point_of_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: STEPHEN ACKLEY

Contact_Position: INVESTIGATOR

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address

Address: 118 W Castle Ln

City: San Antonio

State_or_Province: Texas

Postal_Code: 78213

Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: +1 1 210 341 6556

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: sackley@pol.net, Stephen.ackley@utsa.edu

Data_Quality_Information:

Attribute_Accuracy:

Attribute_Accuracy_Report:

Not Available

Logical_Consistency_Report:

Not Available

Completeness_Report:

Not Available

Lineage:

Process_Step:

Process_Description:

Not Available

Process_Date: Unknown

Spatial_Reference_Information:

Distribution_Information:

Distributor:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization: NSIDC > National Snow and Ice Data Center

Contact_Person: STEPHEN NSIDC ACKLEY USER SERVICES

Contact_Position: DATA CENTER CONTACT

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address

Address: 118 W Castle Ln

City: San Antonio

State_or_Province: Texas

Postal_Code: 78213

Country: USA

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address

Address: National Snow and Ice Data Center

Address: CIRES, 449 UCB

Address: University of Colorado

City: Boulder

State_or_Province: CO

Postal_Code: 80309-0449

Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: +1 1 210 341 6556

Contact_Voice_Telephone: +1 (303) 492-6199

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: +1 (303) 492-2468

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: sackley@pol.net, Stephen.ackley@utsa.edu

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: nsidc@nsidc.org

Resource_Description: SIMBA_Argo_Floats

Distribution_Liability:

Not Available

Standard_Order_Process:

Digital_Form:

Digital_Transfer_Information:

Format_Name: Not Available

Digital_Transfer_Option:

Online_Option:

Computer_Contact_Information:

Network_Address:

Network_Resource_Name:

http://nsidc.org

Access_Instructions:

DATA CENTER URL

Digital_Transfer_Option:

Online_Option:

Computer_Contact_Information:

Network_Address:

Network_Resource_Name:

http://utsa.edu/lrsg/

Access_Instructions:

Fees: Not Available

Metadata_Reference_Information:

Metadata_Date: 20120216

Metadata_Review_Date: 20120420

Metadata_Future_Review_Date: 20120216

Metadata_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: JESSICA JIMENEZ

Contact_Position: DIF AUTHOR

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address

Address: 3407 Ivy Ave

City: Hidalgo

State_or_Province: Texas

Postal_Code: 78557

Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: 956-451-9288

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: Jessica.jimenez_eng@yahoo.com

Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata

Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998

Metadata_Time_Convention: local time