Ocean Weather Ship Station M 1948-2009
The end of the North Atlantic Weather Ship era
Svein Østerhus and Tor Gamelsrød
WWW.BJERKNES.UIB.NO
Outline
Short about the history of the North Atlantic Weather Ships
Results from Weather Ship Station M– Changes in the deep Norwegian Sea
Future for station M (66°N, 2°E)
The Ocean Weather Ships in the North Atlantic1947-onward
North Atlantic Civil AviationPropeller-driven aircraft
DC-3
Transcontinental air service
With the expansion of civil aviation and growing understanding of the impact of aerological observations on weather forecasts after World War II, ICAO (The International Civil Aviation Organization) demanded a greater network of aerological stations, primarily in the North Atlantic
History of the North Atlantic Ocean Weather Ships International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and IMO
(WMO) established a net of Weather Ships Stations in the North Atlantic in 1947/48
USA, Canada and eighth European countries operated the stations
13 stations (A-M) 30 Ship More than 1000 seamen's
The Ocean Weather Ships in the North Atlantic
XX
X X
X
X
X
X X
X
XX
History International Civil Aviation Organisation
(ICAO) and IMO (WMO) established a net of Weather Ships Stations in the North Atlantic in 1947/48
13 stations (A-M) 30 Ship More than 1000 seamen's OWS “Polarfront” at M was the last
weather ship in service but was terminated November 2009 after 61 years.
“Polarfront” I and II“Cumulus”“Polarfront”
Post 1950 Civil Aviation
Jet Engine Extended range and altitude
Ocean Weather Station M“Polarfront”
Gre
enla
nd
Scan
dina
via
Situated at 66°N 2°E in the Norwegian Sea
Scientific research programICAO (NOT ICES) attempted to organize an international oceanographical research programme for the weather ships, but failed due to lack of interest, shortage of money and difficulties in procuring the necessary scientific equipment.
In Norway, a small group of three scientists, led by the oceanographer Håkon Mosby from the University of Bergen, took upon themselves to implement an extensive research programme on station M.
But they didn't have money to pay for the equipment!
“Dr. Petterssen opplyste at det var nødvendig at winchene ble montert i England dersom det skulle bli mulig å få en del av utgiftene over på svenskene og briterne”
“Dr. Petterssen wrote that it was essential to install the winches in England to make it possible to transfer some of the expenses to the Swedes and the British”
“Vi er blitt enige om å ta hydrografwinchenene med på budsjettet og håper at svenskene ikke gjør vanskeligheter”
“We have agreed on adding the hydrographical winches to the budget (for met obs. etc) and hope the Swedes don’t make any trouble” [Sweden paid 43%, UK 35%, Norway 22%] + (thermometers from Germany and France).
Though the setting-up the hydrographic observation programme was not without a little skulduggery! [extracts of letter from Mosby to his friends]
Observations at station M
Met obs Temperature & salinity since 1948 Dissolved oxygen since 1953 Atmospheric CO2 since 1978 (NOAA) Nutrients and chlorophyll since 1991 DOC during 1991-1993 DIC during 1991-1994 DIC and alkalinity since 2001 pCO2 in surface water and atmosphere
since 2005 d13C since 2006 Direct air-sea flux measurements since
2006 (NOC&Gfi/BCCR) Plankton ++++
61 years in the Nordic Seas
Temperature & salt anomalies
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
Year
-0 .9
-0 .8
-0 .7
Te
mp
era
ture
°C
1500
1200
2000
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
Year
6.9
7
7.1
Dis
olv
ed O
xyg
en (
ml/l
)
1500
1200
2000
DIC
Temperature
Oxygen
The warming of the Nordic Seas Deep WaterA tale of three deep basinsEurasian
Basin
Greenland Sea
Norwegian Sea
Connected by two passageways
Fram Strait
Jan Mayen Channel
Greenland Sea Convection (pre-1970)
Ice cover
Arctic Ocean Greenland Sea Norwegian SeaAtlantic Ocean
Convection Sites
Arctic OceanDeep Water(AODW)
AODW
GSDW
AODW + GSDW
NSDW
GSSW
M
Greenland Sea Convection (today)
Ice cover
Arctic Ocean Greenland Sea Norwegian SeaAtlantic Ocean
Convection Sites
Arctic OceanDeep Water(AODW)
AODW
GSDW? NSDW?
AODW + ?
M
Temperature and Dissolved Oxygen in the Norwegian Sea Deep Water (NSDW) at M
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
Year
6.9
7
7.1
Dis
olv
ed O
xyg
en (
ml/l
)
1500
1200
2000
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
Year
-0 .9
-0 .8
-0 .7
Te
mp
era
ture
°C
1500
1200
2000
Spreading of Intermediate from the Greenland Sea
Greenland Sea Norwegian SeaM
High O2
34.86 34.87 34.88 34.89 34.9 34.91 34.92-1.5
-1.4
-1.3
-1.2
-1.1
-1
-0.9
-0.8
Salinity
Po
ten
tial T
em
pe
ratu
re (
°C)
GSSW
NSDW
EBDW
1982
2004
2004
Greenland SeaDeep Water
GSDW
The properties of GSDW started to crawl away from those of GSSW and towards those of AODW (EBDW)
Low O2
High O2
Temperature and Dissolved Oxygen in the Norwegian Sea Deep Water (NSDW) at M
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
Year
6.9
7
7.1
Dis
olv
ed O
xyg
en (
ml/l
)
1500
1200
2000
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
Year
-0 .9
-0 .8
-0 .7
Te
mp
era
ture
°C
1500
1200
2000
Changes in the deepest part of the Norwegian Sea (Basin)
Homohaline– No changes in salinity from
2500 m to the bottom– Almost homohaline from
1400 m in 1994 and from 800 m in 1935
Adiabatic– No changes in the
potential temperature from 2500 m to the bottom
Norwegian SeaDeep W ater
1994
-1 .10 -1.00 -0.90 -0.80 -0.70 -0.60Potentia l Tem perature (°C )
4000
3000
2000
1000
Pre
ssu
re (
dbar
)
34.9 34.905 34.91Salin ity
Ø sterhus 190608
Hydrographical observations from the deep Norwegian Sea
NOT/SDATA
NISE+ (Nilsen & Hatun 2009)
Temperature at 3000 and 3500 m Below the sill depth in the Norwegian Sea (Basin)
(in the homohaline and adiabatic layer)
1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
-1.12
-1.1
-1.08
-1.06
-1.04
-1.02
-1
-0.98
-0.96
Pot
. te
mp
(C
)
Time (yrs)
Mean Pot. temp (C) at 3500 100 m depth in the Nordic sea : 6W - 2E, 63N-69N
1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
-1.12
-1.1
-1.08
-1.06
-1.04
-1.02
-1
-0.98
-0.96
Pot
. te
mp
(C
)
Time (yrs)
Mean Pot. temp (C) at 3000 100 m depth in the Nordic sea : 6W - 2E, 63N-69N
3000 m 3500 m
Ongoing Convection
Ice cover
Arctic Ocean Greenland Sea Norwegian SeaAtlantic Ocean
Convection Sites
Geothermal Heating 60 mW/m2
M
Recent warming of the deep water in the Norwegian Sea
Ice cover
Arctic Ocean Greenland Sea Norwegian SeaAtlantic Ocean
Cooling
Heating
Intermediate depth (1000-1500 m):Warming due to warmer water convected in The Greenland Sea
2000 M: Warming due to lack of GSDW (replaced by AODW)
Below 2500 m:Warming due to geothermal driven convection and heating
Future for the station M time series?
The End?
TerminatedNov. 2009 and will not return!
FutureNew moorings and gliders will replace OWS Polarfront
FundedIn service 2011?
DeployedJan 2010
FundedTo be deployed2011(IMR)
4 stk. G lasskuler
4 stk. G lasskuler
3 stk. G lasskuler
W ire 100m
250kg
R C M -9
R C M -9
R C M -9
9 00 m k ev la r
3 00 m k ev la r
8
2 g la ssk u le r
A rgo ssen d er
Unmanned Sailing boat
Thank you!
Confused?
Time for questions or lunch
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