Air-Sea Flux Moorings in the Kuroshio Extension System 


Figure 1.  KESS Observational Plan   Next May 2004, this array is going to be deployed. Currently there are no air-sea flux measurements in this plan.


Figure 2.  KESS science objectives   KESS (Kuroshio Extension System Study) goals are to understand the dynamics and thermodynamics between the Kuroshio Extension and the Recirculation Gyre.


Figure 3.  Currents in the Kuroshio This is not an easy place to work...


Figure 4a.  Wintertime (JFM) rainfall...
Figure 4b.  Wintertime (JFM) latent heat flux...
Figure 4c.  Wintertime (JFM) sensible heat flux...
Figure 4d.  Annual mean carbon flux...


Figure 5.  Simple EPIC-type moorings... The strategy would be to make the moorings simple. They must have extremely low drag (slack-line) and heavy anchor. If the load becomes intolerable, the mooring would either break away from its anchor, or sink. In any case, we will have learned much about the climate system, and about moorings in high current regimes. Refurbished EPIC inventory can be used to make these moorings very economical.


Meghan F. Cronin
Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory
7600 Sand Point Way NE
Seattle, WA 98115 USA
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