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Compared
with spring 2007, weather and particularly ice
conditions were much more favorable for the Twin
Otter CTD survey during 2008. Landings by skiplanes
on unprepared ice floes were greatly aided by the
nearly universal presence of smooth, first year
ice which made locating landing sites relatively
easy.
The
NPEO hydrographic survey in 2008 began March 20
with the
International Polar Year extended sampling program
of the Beaufort Sea by Twin Otter.
Fifteen CTD-Chemistry surface stations were obtained
across the southern Beaufort from 136 °West
out 10 163° West,
in unusually cold air temperatures. Extending the
IPY Beaufort coverage farther north than was reachable
from Deadhorse, Alaska in the skiplane, a second
Twin Otter on standard (thin) wheels and with dual,
long-range ferry tanks flew two days in mid-April
north from Deadhorse, dropping AXCTDs into open
lead, and recording the profiles without landing.
Eight successful CTD profiles were
obtained.
Following
the Beaufort Sea effort in March, the winch-equipped
skiplane then staged to the Russian Ice
Station Borneo via Inuvik, Resolute, and Alert, and completed
20 CTD-Chemistry stations (Cast numbers 16 through
35) in the North Pole region including five ocean
sections from the Pole along 90°East, 135 °East,
180 °,
135 °West and the Greenwich meridian, through
the month of April.
As
in previous years, a sixth section along 90° West
toward Alert was recorded by the Switchyard project
during May. Switchyard also collected a large cluster
of CTD only stations in the central Lincoln Sea. |
