FinisGlider

Main Objectives

The objectives of FinisGlider are part of a long-term monitoring program from the Spanish Institute of Oceanography to monitor the ocean hydrography and biogeochemistry at the Western Iberian Margin. Present monitoring program include a repeated section perpendicular to the coast extend to 250 nm off Cape Finisterre into the Iberian Abyssal Plain basin (north-western Iberia, 43ºN, 9-15ºW, > 5000 m). The aim of the group is to perform a first set of occupations of the sections by glider missions in order to (i) study the influence of mesoscale variability on the water mass properties determination by ship cruises, (ii) understand the variability in circulation patterns at the Galician slope and the passage from the shelf to the Galician Bank and (iii) explore the viability of addressing the repeated hydrographical section west of Finisterre through glider missions.

The FinisGlider project will provide the first glider mission of the section, partially overlapping with a ship cruise. The following specific objectives are pursued:

• Evaluate the comparability of the hydrographical structure in the Western Iberian Margin as seen by a regular cruise and an overlapping glider mission.
• Quantify the intrinsic short-term variability of hydrographical properties and mesoscale structures through the repeated sampling by the glider (forward and backward tracks).
• Assess the capability of biogeochemical sensors on glider payload to determine variability and trends in terms of ventilation of central waters.
• Have a glider mission pilot experience to assess the possibility of addressing the repeated hydrographical section west of Finisterre trough such devices, on regular basis, as part of the national monitoring program of the oceans.

MISSION TRACK AND PLOTS: https://gfcpdsi.ego-network.org/plot/plot_deployment.php?glider=bonpland&deployment=FinisGlider

DATA: http://www.seanoe.org/data/00409/52032/

Project Report: 

FinisGlider Report Final (396.7 KiB)