Physical Oceanography Division

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SAMOC News

Nov 6, 2012: CNPq (the Brazilian NSF) has agreed to continue funding the MOVAR-AX97 XBT line from Rio de Janeiro to Trindade Island for another 3 years (lead-PI: Mauricio Mata, Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande - FURG).
Oct 23, 2012: NASA funded PIs Gustavo Goni (NOAA/AOML) and Shenfu Dong (CIMAS/UM, NOAA/AOML) to investigate the meridional variability (at seasonal to interannual time scales) of the SAMOC using altimetry observations; with a comparison/validation component using Argo, XBT, model-derived estimates.
Aug 16, 2012: Dinner scheduled for all SAMOC partners attending the US AMOC meeting in Boulder, CO
Jul 13, 2012: The 7th SAM cruise completed.
Jun 22, 2012: GEOMAR, Helmholtz-Zentrum fur Ozeanforschung Kiel will be deploying an array of current meters along the western boundary near 11S in 2013 to study decadal variations of the MOC in the tropical Atlantic.
May 14, 2012: SAMOC formally endorsed by the International CLIVAR Scientific Steering Group
May 3, 2012: Registration for 2012 US AMOC meeting in Boulder, Colorado is open until May 18, 2012 (registration link)
Mar 2, 2012: South Africa-SANAP awarded funds for equipment and ship time to support eastern boundary current array.
Nov 29, 2011: Brazil-FACEPE/FAPESP and France-ANR awarded funds to augment the western and eastern boundary current arrays, respectively. Ship time also provided to support western boundary current array.
Oct 24, 2011 - Dec 2, 2011: CO2 - Subtropical Atlantic Ocean cruise conducted by Brazil along 35S.
Sep 27-29, 2011: SAMOC IV workshop held in Simons Town, South Africa.

SAMOC Highlight: Jul 13, 2012

The 7th SAM cruise was carried out 2-11 July 2012 on board R/V Puerto Deseado (CONICET, Argentina). The cruise included a full-depth hydrographic section across the South Atlantic western boundary current and data telemetry from four Pressure Inverted Echosounders (PIES) at 34.5S. These observations are designed to study the variability of the western boundary current transport, a key element of the export of deep waters from the Atlantic Ocean and the Atlantic Meridional Circulation. In addition a hydrographic section across the southern Brazil continental shelf, spanning the slope, the Subtropical Shelf Front (STSF) and the Plata plume was occupied. These observations provide information on the flow on the slope west of the array are designed to also sample the export of shelf waters to the deep ocean along the STSF (see link).