Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/B505911/1
Deep ocean convection: observations from an adaptive network of underwater gliders.
Grant Award
- Principal Investigator:
- Dr DA Smeed, NOC (Up to 31.10.2019), NERC Strategic Research Division
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor H Bryden, University of Southampton, Sch of Ocean and Earth Science
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor G Griffiths, National Oceanography Centre, Science and Technology
- Grant held at:
- NOC (Up to 31.10.2019), NERC Strategic Research Division
- Science Area:
- Marine
- Overall Classification:
- Marine
- ENRIs:
- Global Change
- Science Topics:
- Ocean - Atmosphere Interact.
- Technol. for Environ. Appl.
- Climate & Climate Change
- Ocean Circulation
- Abstract:
- Deep convection is the process by which the deep water of the ocean is renewed when surface water is cooled at high latitudes and is a key process for understanding thermohaline circulation in the ocean. But, several aspects of the process are not well understood. This work would use new technology together with computer simulation models to help improve our understanding. There are two innovations in this and the accompanying proposal 'Deep ocean convection: observations from an adaptive network of underwater gliders'. The first is to develop an adaptive guidance system for a network of ocean gliders. Gliders are recently developed autonomous vehicles that travel at about 1 km per hour, can profile the upper 1000m of the ocean, and can transmit data and receive instructions via satellite communications. To realise their full potential the guidance communicated to the gliders must make use of all of the available information. We will develop a system in which data from the gliders, and other information such as meteorological forecasts, are assimilated into a forecast model of the ocean circulation. Analyses and forecasts from the model will then be input to a system that implements observing strategies to generate instructions for the gliders. The instructions are then forwarded to the gliders via satellite. secondly, we will use the system to make novel observations of deep convection. The objectives are to survey a convective patch, to measure for the first time the amplitudes and scales of convective plumes and to examine the processes at the edge of the patch that exchange water between the patch and the surrounding ocean. These processes determine the rates of formation of deep water in the ocean, and so are key parts of the climate system.
- NERC Reference:
- NE/B505911/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- Capital Equipment Pre FEC
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Capital Equipment
This grant award has a total value of £427,444
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Total - Staff | Total - T&S | Total - Other Costs | Total - Indirect Costs | Total - Equipment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £124,328 | £11,803 | £63,436 | £57,191 | £170,687 |
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