Hey guys

just complementing the post sent by Nislen, the current pattern follows flowing to the NW all the weekend (Figure 1).

Figure 1.- SIlbo surfacings on weekend 5-7 august 2011.

This has confused to the Silbo team this weekend, since we expected SW current associated to the central cold sun of the solar system that we actually cross. The solution to the mistery may come moving a step back and look the problem with some perspective. When we did it, solution appeared nitid and clear. It came observing the altimetric landscape given by the update of the SSHa today.  Data say that there are 2 guilties to this NW strong and regular current flow.

1.- If we observe the SSHa, there are a strong anticlockwise pattern that seems to be the responsible of such a NW flow. The central cold eddy (the sun of the solar system that we cross) targeted by a negative SSHa (green color), has been opened in his SE side and has been converted in an “altimetric channel”. This channel seems to be built by a strong current flowing to NW (to silbo) like a river (Figure 2).

Figure 2a.- SSHa 8 august 2011.

This channel/river continues sorrounding the warm eddy South Silbo. It is a mesoscale pattern of 500 km of longitude (24-29 W), and 200 km of latitude (54.5-52.5 N) aproximately (Figure 2b).

Figure 2b.- SSHa 8th august 2011.

This mesoscale anticlockwise pattern would explain the NW flow. But whats its origin ? Who is the builder/guilty ?

2.- The thermohaline general pattern is the main characteristic of this particular N Atlantic ocean domain. Thus, the global pattern of the salinity is a good indicator of the global circulation.  The N arm of the gulf stream is flowing to NW (Southwestern Iceland) and NE (Eastern Iceland). Silbo is crossing the SW limit (strong salinity front) of this global salted river flowing north (Figure 3).

Figure 3.- Salinity field and thermohaline flow. 8th august 2011.

It could explain such a mesoescale anticlockwise flow associated to the thermohaline NW strong flow (Figure 4).

Figure 4.- Mesoscale anticlockwise pattern showed in the SSHa and Salinity fields (8h august 11).

As Nilsen proposes, we would have to move the WP to get the strong warm eddy located SE to silbo (we would have to be at 25 W, 53 N to find good and constant South oriented currents). Apparently, the NW river would flow for a while. So the course of silbo would be S-SW with the actual WP. We would have to fly to silbo to SE (100 km in longitude E, 200 km in latitude to S).

For that it would be neccessary to move the WP to the North and to the East to head it course to the SE, to 25 W, 53 N.

greetings all

Antonio Ramos

RCO Division, ULPGC.

The Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN) is a general marine science and technology mobilisation initiative that seeks to obtain the international socioeconomic business competitiveness derived from access to the oceanic space. PLOCAN is working in different fields as renewable energies, focused in ocean’s energy resources, oceanographic buoys and underwater vehicles.

As one of its most important areas, PLOCAN Training Program has been working in the last year with underdegree students and graduates, mainly with Spanish students.

But this summer we are carried out the MaReS Summer School, an international initiative with the collaboration of Rutgers University, University of Madeira (Madeira Tecnopolo), and with the University of Azores, with an international student exchange program.

Two of our MaReS Summer School students are now in RU-COOL helping with SILBO glider mission between Reykjavik to Las Palmas.

MaReS Summer School

Hey ¡ Buenos días a todos ¡

Obviously, it looks that challenger 1 mission, a huge international oceanographic mission becomes by moments the MCXXIII chapter of STARTREK and our brave Silbo, more than a glider, becomes the mythic Enterprise …

As Nilsen posted, he has generated an intense traffic of emails and procedures this week. Homework has been focused on battery power consumption forecasts, converting to kmz the data sets available to be included in the website of the mission in real time, Barnacles and finally, object of this post, liquid solar systems. Not so bad: “barnacles and liquid solar systems”.

Some weeks ago, on 24 june, we reported the presence of a liquid meccano of alternatives eddiies belt of different sign at different meso and submesoescales space time. When we made a zoom we observed that this marine eddy galaxy (!??) was engaged forming by different solar systems that seemed to follow the same premise. A belt of eddies was sorrounding another of contrary sign. Thus on 8th july, Silbo was flying the first of this gears. We had a number of cold core eddies surrounding a warm core eddy that were in our path (figure 1).

FIGURE 1. SSHa 8 jul 11. Left handed solar system formed by a warm eddy (sun) in the centre and cold eddies (planets) gyring and translating anticlockwise around.

Two weeks later, Silbo (“enterprise”) follows finding and sailing/flying some liquid solar systems organized in a very espectacular, effcient and simple way. Look that he is heading a new one. However there are some differences with the previous one. This new target is right handed marine solar system (cold sun and warm planets). We would also expect translation movement (to the right) around the cold eddy of the centre that we expect that will not move (figure 2).

Figure 2. SSHa 27th jul 11. A right handed marine solar system.

When we compared both solar system the simetry and size appear evidents. Both translate around a static sun located in the middle at (to check it) apparently the same speed of 8-12 km/day (figure 3 a,b).

Figure 3a and 3b. SSHa field on 8th and 27th jul 11. Left handed and right handed marine solar systems.

We thought the best course of action is to follow these eddies around and try and shoot ourselves as far south as we can by using the alternating currents caused by the cold and warm eddies (cold eddies spin counter clockwise while warm spin clockwise). And we did it. Now, we are applying the symetric protocol to cross this new but right handed liquid system. To cross the initial planetary belt of warm eddies by its right side and, (W path) cross the sun (55 N) by the western side and then the eastern side of the warm eddy located at south (54 N). However there is another solution. To move the Waypoint to the E and attack the warm eddies located SE silbo until arriving to 22 E.  Then turn again to SW to leave the solar system and heading the warmer South (figure 4)…

Figure 4. SSHa 8th and  27th jul 11. Path plannings to cross both marine solar systems.

Incredible…Isnt it ?  Force, wind, sea and honor to all

Antonio G Ramos

RCO Division (Robotic and Computational Oceanography, ULPGC)

Buen día a todos …

“Ents love to go South, my dear hobbits … It is like walking downhill”…

Treebeard in “the Lord of the rings” ..

Definitely, Silbo agrees with this deep, magic and wisdom thought… In two days, after our 7th and 8th storms (figure 1) current field finally changed and turn to SW.

Figure 1a and 1b.- Inertial oscillation generated by the 7th storm on 17 and 18 july.

To express it simply, “we were hanged to 11,s km”, Oscar dixit.  Our brave Silbo flew 39 km in 24 hours… He had 2 stints flying at 0.46 m/s and 0.46 m/s (!), the second record (0.47 m/s) of the hole mission (figure 2).

Figure 2.- Last surfacings. Inertial oscillation generated by the 9th storm today ??

If we observe the SSHa anomaly and the chl a field, our primary target is crossing the eastern side of a warm eddy (W Silbo) and then, the western side of a cold eddy (S SIlbo) (figure 3 and figure 4).

Figure 3.- SSHa field on 20th july 2011.

Figure 4.- Chl a field on 20th july 2011.

Our focal point is located at 57 N 26.5 W. Here we have a toll in the highway with three good options/roads. Eastern, Central or Western road. All of them out of the < 1000 m depth. (figure 5).

Figure 5.- The next…SSHa field on 20th july 2011.

Finally the 9th storm arrived today. It perturbated the current field (as expected) and the last surfacing shows that current turned from SW to W (figure 2). However, one important remark: it keeps the speed up to 0.35 m/s, we would expect a new change again to SW at good speeds like yesterday.

That would means that Silbo would follow “flying downhill without brakes” for a while .… (fasten your seatbelts again).

However “the man proposes, and the sea decides”.

Thanks again to mi great team and have a nice day dear friends and colleagues.

Antonio G. Ramos (RCO Division, ULPGC).