Ship Request

STR Management has moved to MFP

The US Academic Research Fleet is moving to Marine Facilities Planning (MFP) for scheduling initially and eventually cruise planning.

For all NEW or RESUBMITTED Projects/Ship Time Requests, go to https://mfp.us and create a new SME. Some STRs for projects starting in 2022 and beyond have already been moved to Marine Facilities Planning (mfp.us). Check your MFP Science Portal for any projects that might already be moved. If you need to make edits to projects that begin in 2022 and beyond, please contact mfp@unols.org for assistance. Be sure to indicate the Project and STR IDs that you would like to edit. For more information on getting into MFP, see the More Information button below.

  MeRMEED  -  2016  -  F. G. Walton Smith  
  Project Information  
Project Title: Mechanisms Responsible for Mesoscale Eddy Energy Dissipation Project Status: Submitted
Principal Investigator: Eleanor Frajka-Williams, UoS Project Institution: UoS
Project ID: 104901 Version #: 2
Date Submitted: 10/20/2016 7:34:00 AM Created By: Eleanor Frajka-Williams
Date Last Modified: 10/20/2016 7:34:00 AM URI Serial #: None
Funding Agencies: OTHER - NE/N001745/1 - Funded
Summary of Field Work: Mesoscale eddies-swirling vortices of water 100-200 km across-are ubiquitous in the world oceans. They are highly energetic, and act to redistribute energy and properties. While eddies are present in all ocean basins, they disappear from satellite altimetry preferentially at western boundaries. Understanding how and why eddies lose energy is critical to our understanding of large-scale ocean dynamics and their representation in climate models. The mechanism(s) responsible for this disappearance---radiating energy away, contributing energy to the mean flow or dissipating locally---are not well known, and different mechanisms will have different effects on circulation. We propose to construct the first detailed map of eddy energy and dissipation at the western boundary, in order to better understand the mechanisms responsible for eddy disappearance.
Specifically, our objectives are to:?
1. Map turbulent dissipation in the presence of an anticyclone and a cyclone;?
2. Quantify the evolution and decay of mesoscale eddy energy at the western boundary for an anticyclone and a cyclone;
3. Determine the characteristics of the dynamical phenomena associated with eddy dissipation;?
4. Determine importance of local dissipation to the energy budget of mesoscale eddies.
Our proposed region of study is at 26N at the western boundary of the Atlantic ocean. Moored instrumentation is being deployed through the UK RAPID moorings program, and gliders will be deployed in the 2017/18 year. For 2016, we propose to deploy expendable current profilers (XCPs) and a tethered microstructure profiler (VMP) from a regional-class vessel to make finescale profiles of currents and water properties (<1-m) and microscale profiles of temperature and shear variance (<10-cm). These observations will be used to create a three-dimensional (3D) snapshot of turbulent dissipation, with concurrent velocity and density profiles, both at the peak and tail end of one anticyclone and one cyclone. These high resolution observations will be key to linking the patterns of dissipation with the flow field/topographic conditions in which they occur.
Summary of Facility Requirements: Sufficient deck space for two winches for the VMP 2000. Block or a-frame to handle it over the back.
Power for the winches (see notes under "summary of other requirements or comments")
Vessel mounted 75kHz ADCP
Echo sounder
Space to mount a 4-element direction antenna (very light weight) for the XCP radio receiver



We require a vessel capable of deploying the tethered Rockland VMP 2000, steaming at 1/4 knot to keep the lightweight tether clear of the vessel and the instrument. We will also deploy XCPs which need to be lowered over the side, the ship steams away 1-2 ship lengths, then waits in the same heading for the data to be transmitted by radio. We are bringing our own antenna and radio receiver (the antenna to be fixed to the vessel) and deck unit to receive and process the data.
Vessel-mounted ADCP (particularly 75kHz) will be used to survey the area, including the mesoscale eddy field, in order to determine where the high current speeds are relative to topography. The ship echo sounder will be used to decide how deep to profile with the VMP, in order to avoid hitting the bottom.
Summary of other requirements and comments: The VMP winch takes 415V, 3 phase power. We are in discussion about how to adapt it to the Walton Smitth power (208V, 3 phase power).
Ship Request Identification
Type of Request: Primary Ship Use Request Status: Submitted
Request ID: 1009002 Created By: Eleanor Frajka-Williams
Date Last Modified: 10/20/2016 7:34:00 AM Date Submitted: 10/20/2016 7:34:00 AM
Requested Ship, Operating Days and Dates
Year: 2016 Ship/Facility: F. G. Walton Smith
Optimum Start Date: 12/1/2016 Dates to Avoid: In discussion with Rich Behn/Miguel McKinney about the ship dates - we'd prefer earlier in Dec due to technician availability.
 
 
Earliest Start Date: 11/29/2016 Multi-Ship Op: No
Latest Start Date: 12/7/2016 Other Ship(s): No multi-ship operations.

Operating Days Needed: Science Days Mob Days De-Mob Days Estimated Transit Days Total Days
5 2 1 2 10
Repeating Cruise?
(within same year)
No Interval:   # of Cruises:  

Description of Repeating cruise requirements:
Justification/Explanation for ship choice, dates,
conflicts, number of days & multi-ship operations:
Work Area for Cruise
Short Description of Op Area
for use in schedules:
East of Abaco
Description of Op Area: East of Abaco, Bahamas between the continental shelf edge (about 400m water depth) and the deep water (4000m).
Op Area Size/Dia.: 80 nautical miles x 60 nautical miles
 
  Lat/Long Marsden Grid Navy Op Area
Beginning
25.8° N / 77.1° W map
80 map
NA09 map
Ending
27° N / 76° W map
80 map
NA09 map
  Show Degrees Minutes    
Foreign Clearance and Permitting Requirements
Foreign Clearance Required? Yes Coastal States:

Bahamas
 Important Info on Foreign Research Clearances  

Are you or any member in your science party bringing in any science equipment items which are regulated for export by the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR)?
No If yes, have you applied for the necessary permits through your export control office? No
 Questions about ITAR/EAR regulations?

Comments about foreign clearance requirements or
description of any other special permitting requirements
(e.g., MMPA, ESA, IHA, Marine Sanctuaries, etc.)
Port Calls
Requested Start Port Intermediate Port(s) Requested End Port
Miami, FL, USA None Miami, FL, USA
Explanation/justification for requested
ports and dates of intermediate stops
or to list additional port stops
Walton Smith home port.

 Important Info on Working in Foreign Ports

 
Science Party
Chief Scientist: Eleanor Frajka-Williams, UoS
# in Science Party 7 # of different science teams 1 # Marine Technicians to be
provided by ship operator:
(include in science party total)
1
Explanation of Science Party Requirements and Technician Requirements We are bringing 4 scientists and 3 technicians in order to support continuous operations with the VMP.
Instrumentation Requirements That Impact Scheduling Decisions
Unselected Dynamic PositioningSelected ADCPUnselected MultibeamUnselected Seismic
Unselected Dredging/Coring/Large Dia. Trawl WireUnselected Stern A-frameUnselected Fiber Optic (.681)Unselected 0.680 Coax Wire
Unselected SCUBA DivingUnselected Radioisotope use - briefly describeUnselected NO Radioisotope use/Natural level workSelected Other Operator Provided Inst. - Describe
0 PI-Provided Vans - briefly describe Unselected MOCNESS  
Explain Instrumentation or Capability
requirements that could affect choice
of ship in scheduling.

Rockland VMP-2000 tethered microstructure profiler and winch. This measures shear and temperature at 512 Hz, and has a winch with lightweight data cable/tether so that the profiler can freefall, and then be winched back in.

Lockheed Martin Sippican expendable current profiler (XCP). We are bringing the deck unit, antenna + VHF receiver, and all tools necessary to deploy.

Major Ancillary Facilities (that require coordination of schedules with ship schedule)
Aircraft
Unselected Helicopter Ops (USCG)Unselected Twin OtterUnselected Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) 
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV)
Unselected Other AUVUnselected Sentry  
Coring Facility
Unselected Jumbo Piston CoringUnselected Large Gravity Core Unselected MC800 multicorer w/ MISO camera/telemetryUnselected OSU Coring Facility (MARSSAM)
Unselected Other Large Coring FacilityUnselected WHOI Long Core  
Human Occupied Vehicle (HOV)
Unselected AlvinUnselected Clelia (HBOI)Unselected JSL I & II (HBOI)Unselected Other HOV
Other Facility
Unselected MISO Facility - deep-sea imagingUnselected Other FacilityUnselected Potential Fields Pool Equipment 
Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV)
Unselected JasonUnselected Other ROV  
Seismic Facility
Unselected Ocean Bottom Seismograph Instrument Center (OBSIC)Unselected Ocean Bottom Seismograph Instrument Pool (OBSIP)Unselected Ocean-Bottom Seismometer Program (UTIG)Unselected Other Seismic/OBS Facility
Unselected PASSCALUnselected Portable MCS groupUnselected Portable MCS/SCS groupUnselected U.S. Geological Survey Ocean Bottom Seismometer Facility (USGS at WHOI)
Towed Underwater Vehicle
Unselected ARGO IIUnselected Hawaii MR1 (HMRG)Unselected IMI12 (HMRG)Unselected IMI120 (HMRG - formerly DSL 120A)
Unselected IMI30 (HMRG)Unselected Other Towed Underwater VehicleUnselected Towfish 
UNOLS Van Pool
Unselected AUV Lab Van #1Unselected Clean Lab VanUnselected Cold Lab VanUnselected General Purpose Lab Van
Unselected Radioisotope Lab VanUnselected Wet Lab Van  
UNOLS Winch Pool
Unselected Mooring SpoolerUnselected Portable WinchUnselected Turn Table 
Explain Major Ancillary Facilities
Requirements and list description
and provider for "other" systems.

Expand request schedules  Associated Schedules

Expand request history Ship Request History