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POLRES-Polarforskning POLRES

Bridge Building NERSC - SIO -WHOI

Awarded: NOK 0.80 mill.

Project Number:

178863

Project Period:

2007 - 2009

Funding received from:

Partner countries:

Acoustic tomography is a cost effective method for obtaining time series of unique, synoptic and horizontally averaged oceanographic depth profiles at a high temporal resolution, which can be tailored and implemented in any ocean area including deep and i ce covered oceans. Today, acoustic tomography/thermometry can provide measures of internal ocean temperature at an accuracy of 0.01°C over a 200 km distance. Stand-alone acoustic tomography systems in Arctic regions have been developed and successfully te sted in ice covered regions such as in the Greenland Sea Experiment in 1988-1989 , and in the Labrador Sea tomography experiment 1997-2002. Although acoustic tomography has been successfully tested in more than 25 years, it has never been used by a Norwe gian group of scientists. Nansen Center and NAXYS is jointly responsible within the DAMOCLES integrated project to establish a tomography system in the Fram Strait between East Greenland and West Spitzbergen. The scientific aim is to combine acoustic data with satellite remote sensing, the ongoing conventional mooring array, and high-resolution ice-ocean modeling to obtain better estimates of heat, mass and freshwater flux through advanced data assimilation. In this project we will strengthen our collabo ration within acoustical oceanography through increased contact with the two strongest groups within acoustic tomography/thermometry in the world (WHOI and SIO).

Funding scheme:

POLRES-Polarforskning POLRES