Preparing to Predict: The Second Autonomous Ocean Sampling Network (AOSN-II) Experiment in the Monterey Bay

• Main Authors: Ramp, Steve R, Davis, Russ E, Leonard, Naomi E, Shulman, Igor G, Chao, Yi, Robinson, A. R, Marsden, J, Lermusiaux, P. F, Fratantoni, D. M, Paduan, Jeffrey D, Chaves, F. P, Bahr, F. L, Liang, S, Leslie, W. G, Li, Zhijin
• Format: Publication
• Language: English
• Published: 25.10.2008
• Subjects: AOSN-II(AUTONOMOUS OCEAN SAMPLING NETWORK-PHASE 2); AUTONOMOUS NAVIGATION; AUTONOMOUS OCEAN SAMPLING NETWORK; BAYS; CALIFORNIA; COASTAL REGIONS; CYBERNETICS; DEEP WATER; EDDIES(FLUID MECHANICS); FLEETS(SHIPS); FLOW; GLIDERS; LOW ALTITUDE; MONTEREY BAY(CALIFORNIA); MOORING; NAVIGATION AND GUIDANCE; OCEAN CIRCULATION; OCEAN CURRENTS; OCEAN HEAT BUDGETS; OCEAN MODELS; OCEAN WINDS; OCEANOGRAPHIC DATA; OFFSHORE; PE601153N; PHYSICAL AND DYNAMIC OCEANOGRAPHY; PREDICTIONS; RELAXATION; RELAXATION CYCLES; SALINITY; SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS; SOFTWARE ENGINEERING; SOFTWARE TOOLS; UNDERWATER; UNDERWATER VEHICLES; UPWELLING; UPWELLING CYCLES; WUNRL73-8548-07-5

The Autonomous Ocean Sampling Network Phase Two (AOSN-II) experiment was conducted in and offshore from the Monterey Bay on the central California coast during 23 July - 6 September 2003. The objective of the experiment was to learn how to apply new tools, technologies, and analysis techniques to adaptively sample the coastal ocean in a manner demonstrably superior to traditional methodologies, and to use the information gathered to improve predictive skill for quantities interest to end-users. The scientific goal was to study the upwelling/relaxation cycle near an open coastal bay in an eastern boundary current region developed and spread from a coastal headland. The suite of observational tools used included a low-flying aircraft, a fleet of underwater gliders, under adaptive autonomous control, and propeller-driven AUVs in addition to moorings, ships, and other more traditional hardware. The data were time and assimilated into the Harvard Ocean Prediction System (HOPS), the Navy Coastal Ocean Model (NCOM), and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of the Regional Ocean Modeling System (JPL/ROMS). Two upwelling events and one relaxation event were sampled during the experiment. The space and time scales of the mesoscale variability were much shorter than have been previously observed in deep-water eddies offshore. Additional process studies are needed to elucidate the dynamics of the flow.