Seasonal and Interannual Variability of the Alaska Coastal Current: Long-term, Three-dimensional Observations using a Telemetering, Autonomous Vehicle

这个五年计划的重点是评估阿拉斯加海岸流(ACC)的季节和年际物理和生物变化。具体而言，PIS将调查ACC淡水含量和输送的季节和年际变化、ACC在控制大陆架春季混合层演变中的作用、控制春季水华的时间和空间变化的过程，以及可能产生陆上营养通量的过程。这些过程本质上是三维的，并表现出广泛的时间尺度。为了满足这些采样要求，该计划将利用一种新的自动遥测工具(Seaglider)的能力来制作ACC的连续、高分辨率部分。Seaglider测量温度、电导率、压力、叶绿素荧光、溶解氧和体积散射功能，从表面到底部10米以内的剖面，并提供2公里的水平分辨率。该车辆将全年运行，重复设计的抽样模式，每隔20天在ACC提供五个路段。抽样策略旨在增强现有的GLOBEC长期观测计划组成部分。Seaglider调查提供的时间和空间分辨率将解决春季再层化和浮游植物水华等过程，而这些观测的多年范围将探索该系统对强迫中长时间尺度扰动的反应。

The focus of this five-year program is to assess the seasonal and interannual physical and biological variability of the Alaska Coastal Current (ACC). Specifically the PIs will investigate the seasonal and interannual variability in ACC freshwater content and transport, the ACC's role in governing spring-time mixed layer evolution over the shelf, processes controlling temporal and spatial variability in the spring bloom, and processes that may produce onshore nutrient flux. These processes are inherently three-dimensional and exhibit a wide range of temporal scales. To address these sampling requirements, this program will exploit the capabilities of a new, autonomous, telemetering vehicle (Seaglider) to make continuous, high-resolution sections of the ACC. Seaglider measures temperature, conductivity, pressure, chlorophyll fluorescence, dissolved oxygen and volume scattering function, profiles from the surface to within 10 m, of the bottom and provides 2 km horizontal resolution. The vehicle will operate year-round, repeating a sampling pattern designed to provide five sections across the ACC every twenty days. The sampling strategy was designed to augment existing GLOBEC Long Term Observation Program components. The temporal and spatial resolution provided by Seaglider surveys will resolve processes such as springtime restratification and phytoplankton blooms, while the multi-year extent of these observations will explore the system's response to long timescale perturbations in forcing.