This cruise represents one of NOAA's contributions to the Atlantic Circulation and Climate Experiment (ACCE). ACCE is the World Ocean Circulation Experiment's (WOCE) last field program and is carried out in the North Atlantic. ACCE is directed at increasing our understanding of the interaction between the Atlantic Ocean and global climate. NOAA joins several other NSF-funded investigators in deploying a North Atlantic wide PALACE float array to study the processes important in establishing sea-surface temperature (SST) variability. NOAA's area of interest is the tropical Atlantic and PALACE floats were deployed along 6oS and the equator to provide current vectors at the sea surface and 1000m and temperature profiles every 10 days. These data not only will provide a regional perspective to address ACCE objectives, but when combined with other floats and observations and models, a basinwide perspective will be available.
In addition to deploying the PALACE floats, two basinwide transects were occupied at 6oN and 6oS and a partial transect along the equator. CTD and XBT data were collected along the sections to study upper water column processes and the water mass transformations that occur between 6oS and 6oN (e.g., the effects of equatorial upwelling on upper layer water masses). In addition, comparing direct current observations that include non-geostrophic components of flow with geostrophic estimates of current will provide a measure of the accuracy of Ekman transport estimates close to the equator.
To date all but one of the PALACE floats have returned to the surface on schedule and relayed position and temperature profiles on schedule (11 of 12 floats). Several floats have completed 2 cycles. Water mass and velocity data briefly described in the last section of this cruise report indicate a wealth of information is available to study near surface tropical processes and meet the cruise objectives.