Datasets from PWS FE 2009

Work continues...

All collected data will be wrapped up and packaged on a couple project pages where you will always will be able to grab this information as needed in the future. This will include whatever is currently in the archive for 2004 and 2007.

DATASETS

The ftp accounts will remain OPEN. Please let data management know if you are making changes or updates to the data you have provided from the field. Your help is appreciated. This will help keep the 'packaged set' up to date.

RESOURCES

Please let us know if certain instrumentation or model runs will stop operations in the near or far future. If something gets turned "off" please drop us a line so we can save a few CPU cycles.

FOLLOW UP

Please feel free to contact us anytime about how we can improve data management services. A survey has already been distributed and will capture some of the suggestions and comments. If you think of one or two items later, it is never too late to send them along. We are also willing to restructure datasets, as needed, if the daily directory structure doesn't make sense.

PURPOSE:

To assess the reproducibility of estimating biomechanical parameters of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) based on finite element (FE) computations derived from a commercially available, semiautomatic vascular analyzer that reconstructs computed tomographic angiography (CTA) data into FE models.
METHODS:

The CTA data from 10 consecutive male patients (mean age 74 years, range 63-87) with a fusiform infrarenal AAA >5 cm in diameter were used for this study, along with the CTA scans from 4 individuals without aortic disease. Three different observers used semiautomatic reconstruction software to create deformable contour models from axial CT scans. These 3-dimensional FE models captured the aortic wall and thrombus tissue using isotropic finite strain constitutive modeling. Geometric (maximum diameter and volume measurements based on an anatomical centerline) and biomechanical determinants [aneurysm peak wall stress (PWS) and the peak wall rupture risk (PWRR) index] were then calculated from the FE models. The determinations were made 5 times for each anonymized dataset presented for analysis in random order (5-fold measurements for 14 datasets produced 210 measurements from the 3 observers). Inter- and intraobserver variability were assessed by calculating the coefficient of variation of these repeated measures. The methodological variations were expressed with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman plots.
RESULTS:

The median segmentation time was < 1 hour (mean 39.2 minutes, range 25-48) for datasets from the AAA patients; for the healthy individuals, segmentation times were considerably shorter (median 8.7 minutes, range 4-15). Intraobserver reproducibility was high, as represented by a CV <3% for the diameter measurement and < 5.5% for volume, PWS, and the PWRR index. The ICC was 0.97 (range 0.95-0.98) for diameter and 0.98 (range 0.97-0.99) for volume; for PWS and the PWRR index, the ICCs were equal at 0.98 (range 0.97-0.99).
CONCLUSION:

The reproducibility of volume and maximum diameter measurements in infrarenal AAAs with FE analysis is high. With the model used in this semiautomatic reconstruction software, wall stress analysis can be achieved with high agreement among observers and in serial measurements by a single observer

Data report for Aug 3rd 2009 @ 4 PM AKDT

Data report for Aug 3rd 2009 @ 4 PM AKDT

Data and system status:
* A HF Radar node has been turned off essentially ending the HF Radar service for the experiment. The last total is August 3rd @ 1800 GMT. Automatic processing has been turned off.
* The WRF, ROMS and SWAN forecast runs are continuing at present.

Data seen on Aug 2nd via FTP:
* Update for Naked Island (yet to be processed)
* Slocum glider (RU21)
* CTD: 8/2

Data seen on Aug 3rd via FTP (and other means) as of 4 PM AKDT:
* Remus
* SVP(10m): 8/2
* Argosphere(0m): 8/2
* Thermosalinograph: 8/2

Optimal window around 4pm today to release the 10-m drifter: a legacy of the 2009 FE?

Over the past few days, we have discussed to release a 10-m drifter (with more battery life and possibility of drifting for a long time after the FE is over) towards the end of the FE. The strong inflow from both HE and MS (at least the east side) made such a plan difficult.

However, the wind switched from easterlies two days ago to westerlies today. This provides a favorable condition for the cyclonic eddy (seen by both HF radar and ROMS), and outflow condition at HE. There is a very strong tidal current at the HE, see the above images, the tidal current at HE can be as large as 50 cm/s within six hours (associated with the 12 hourly M2 tides). The tidal current is very weak right now, 12pm Sunday. However, both the wind-driven and tidal-driven current are in phase later this afternoon. Based on all the information I have, this afternoon around 4pm (+/- 1 hour window) is predicted as the optimal window to release a 10-m drifter, slightly northwest of the HE. Both the surface (0-meter) and the 10-meter current are coherent, see attached image.

I don't know this plan is feasible, but it is worth some discussions. In case people on the boat don't access emails, I am wondering whether someone can call Scott or others on the boat. I will email the group, and contact Carter in the next hour.

It would be great if we can try to release one or more drifters today, so that we can continue to watch their trajectories after the FE is over.

Agreement between HF radar & ROMS surface current

The most recent HF radar data at 14 GMT or 6am AKDT this morning show a very strong outflow at HE. Good agreement is found between the HF radar observation and ROMS forecast. This should give us confidence using the ROMS forecast to guide drifter deployment, see next blog entry. The outflow at HE is over 50 cm/sec.

Data Report for August 1st, 2009

As of 12:30 AM 8/2, new data at the FTP site:

* Slocum glider
* SVP (10m)
* Argosphere (0m)
* CTD: 8/1 + other updates
* Thermosalinograph: 7/31, 8/1
* HF Radar: radials, no totals

SLDMBS update: 20090801_1644

For those accessing the SLDMBS drifter data via AOOS, a SLDMBS update was just passed along and processed (SLDMBS_20090801_1644). Thanks, LT Mike Glinski and Paul Webb!

WRF and ROMS forecast summary for July 31

7/31/2009 - A fast-moving low pressure system passed through the south central Alaska yesterday evening. This system passage caused a tightening of the pressure gradients in the region of PWS, resulting in winds strengthening to 15-20 knots and becoming more northeasterly. Today and through the weekend the ridge is forecast to build back, and depending on the location of the ridge axis, a tendency towards lighter, more southwesterly winds should be seen. The central Sound eddy, as revealed by HF radar observations, weakened overnight, perhaps in response to the stronger atmospheric wind forcing that developed. ROMS nowcast/forecast surface currents also show a weakening in the eddy circulation in the mean surface currents from the first 24 hours of today's ROMS forecast. Interestingly, the mean from the second 24 hours of the forecast shows a return of the eddy circulation. The tidal range will increase slightly over the next 48 hours. At Valdez, the tidal range will be around 10 feet. High water (5feet) will be at 20AKDT, and low water (-5 feet) at 5AKDT. There were no signficant operational issues today.

CTD data

Hi Everyone

Just a quick note - I've found a few errors (about 6 of nearly 100 total casts) in the position/time metadata of the CTD profiles from serial #4773. I have uploaded the corrected files to the AOOS server. Let me know if you need the exact files. However it will be just as efficient to download the entire dataset again as the files are relatively small. I expect the other CTDs to have minor errors, and I'll work on identifying them and fixing them today.

Mark H

ROMS simulated drifter trajectories at HE and MS

Based on the most recent ROMS forecast, I produced the attached three images, releasing simulated drifters at the HE, and both the east and west sides of the MS. According to ROMS, there are very strong inflows at these locations. The only outflow is through the Knight Island Passage. However, it might be difficult to release drifters there because of the narrow width and the tidal fluctuations. Comments and suggestions are appreciated.

First satellite SST image for PWS during our FE!

It must be the clear weather on Thursday. We have the first satellite image for sea surface temperature (SST) from MODIS. The image is a 24-hour composite, taken from the global blended SST product from my group, see http://sst.jpl.nasa.gov. A lot of gaps with noisy features, mostly due to the patchy clouds I believe. I also attach the daily mean ROMS SST, which shows very encouraging agreement between the two, at least in the eastern side of the sound, where we have most of our data collected during the FE. There are some really cold waters in the western sound and outside the MS where ROMS shows a warm bias there, maybe these are the cold glacier waters that we missed in the model and we don't much in situ data there as well! Comments and suggestions are appreciated.

Data Report for July 31st, 2009

New data as of July 31st, 2009 @ 10 PM AKDT:

• Slocum glider (RU21)
  
• Argosphere (0m): 7/31
• SVP (10m): 7/31
• A boatload of CTD data new and old...

Status of other data:

• SVP (40m): last update to FTP site on 7/27
• Microstar (1m): last update to FTP site on 7/29
• Remus: last update was 7/29
• Thermosalinograph: last update was 7/29 (on the 30th)
  

Proposal to collect more T/S vertical profiles during Sat/Sunday

One of the most challenging task in modeling the PWS circulation is to ensure sufficient fresh-water input into the sound coming from rainfall, rivers, runoff and glaciers. We have been estimating the fresh-water input from rivers and runoff based on the WRF simulated rainfall over land (routing them through the various watersheds to put them back in the right place around the sound). However, the fresh-water inflows from glaciers remain unknown, as a result, not represented in ROMS. Thus, the ROMS simulated salinity is significantly saltier than observed.

In order to quantify the fresh-water input from glaciers, we propose to use the last two days to collect more temperature/salinity vertical profiles along a few selected sections, see blue lines in the image, filling the data gaps and close the salinity budget. The proposed cross-sections include: Valdez arm, sections for Columbia Glacier outflow, and sections for glaciers from the College Fjord.

These sections can be surveyed by ship CTDs, gliders and REMUS AUV.

Thanks for your considerations. We can discuss this at tonight and tomorrow morning's telecons.

Drifter release proposal for Sat/Sunday

By looking at the drifter trajectories during the past two weeks, I have identified a gap in the northern end of the MS, see the red dashed line. By Sat afternoon/evening, it would be great to deploy all the Microstar drifters along this red line, and recover them by Sunday afternoon/evening. After this, we should have the entire PWS covered with various drifters.

According to the ROMS prediction, there is a good possibility that these drifters will be drifted in the northeast direction into the sound.

Thanks for your considerations.

Factors to influence the PWS circulation; WRF/ROMS predictions

The PWS surface current (as seen by the HF radar) fluctuates hourly, daily, and throughout the FE. To the first order, one can attribute these current fluctuations to three major factors: 1) atmospheric wind, 2) geostrophic current associated with the density and temperature/salinity structure in the upper ocean (mostly influenced by the fresh-water input from rainfall, land runoff, rivers, and glaciers), and 3) tides. It is a complex interplay (through non-linear interactions) among these three factors that is responsible for the flow pattern we see in the HF radar images.

The dominant tidal component is the 12 hourly M2 tide. There is also a pronounced diurnal changes (land-sea contrast associated with the solar heating), particularly near the coaslines. We can reduce and eliminate the tidal signal and diurnal variations by looking at the 24-hour averaged surface current map.

Thus, there are only two dominant factors of (1) wind and (2) geostrophic current that determine the surface current pattern.

In the summer seasons, the PWS circulation is often seen as a cyclonic flow or eddy, with strong inflow from HE (there is a tidal forcing for this as well). This cyclonic flow is consistent with the density/salinity distribution associated with the fresh-water input from the rivers/runoff/glaciers. It is also consistent with the conservation theory of the vorticity: northward (with increasing Earth rotation f) inflow is compensated by the decreasing relative vorticity of cyclonic motion. If there is no wind or wind is weak, this cyclonic eddy should be evident.

For the moderate to strong wind conditions, the wind-driven circulation should influence the final surface current pattern. The wind-driven Ekman transport is 90 degrees to the right of the wind.

During the first week of our FE, the PWS is dominated by a very steady and strong easterly wind (blowing from east to west), and therefore producing a northward Ekman transport. This should strengthen the northward inflow from HE, and reduce or even eliminate the southward return flow in the western flank of the cyclonic eddy.

For the past few days, the wind in the central sound has been fluctuating, switching between easterly and westerly wind conditions. When the easterly wind switched to westerly a few days ago, a cyclonic eddy emerged. When the wind became easterly again yesterday, the cyclonic eddy disappeared, and the surface current exbihits rapid fluctuations and often with complex and smaller scale patterns.

Today's WRF forecast suggests that the weak easterly in the evening of July 30 Thursday will gradually switch to a strong westerly during the rest of today. If the above theory is correct, then we should see the return of this cyclonic eddy in the central sound later today Friday. If the westerly wind persists in the central sound as predicted by WRF, the cyclonic eddy should also persist as predicted by ROMS.

If this prediction can be verified in the next 12-24 hours, we should be able to gain confidence in the WRF/ROMS predictions, which can then be used to guide our field deployment strategy (also known as adaptive sampling) in the final days of our FE.

If you have any questions or need information/materials (that were used to make these conclusions), please feel free to contact me.

Data Report for July 30th, 2009

New data ending 10 PM AKDT July 30th, 2009:

* Slocum glider (RU21)
* Thermosalinograph: 7/29
* Argosphere (0m)
* SVP (10m)
* CTD: 07/29, 07/30
* SnoTel/mooring CSV files refreshed: 7/30 (Naked Island mooring update)

Picking the right wine for our FE party

While we are at Valdez early this week, Zdenka Willis from the IOOS office has promised to bring us the FE wine at our next FE party from her vineyard in Virginia. The only condition is to vote her wine online. Here is the information:

The voting website is www.virginiawineevents.com

Click "Loudoun Valley Vineyard"

Thanks for your attention, and sorry to take a minute away from your busy schedule.

New T/S profile sampling and drifter release proposal/discussion

Question: What is the circulation pattern (both at surface and depths) and the associated T/S gradient for the western flank of the cyclonic eddy?

Proposal I: Repeat sampling of the T/S profiles from the center of the sound to the NW and SW directions (approximately 45 degrees)

Proposal II: Release drifters (both surface, 1-m and 10-m, 40-m) along the path of the western flank of the cyclonic eddy

Assessment: (after this morning's telecon, talking to Carter over the phone, and going through all the data and model we have to this point)

Your should check out the hourly maps of surface current from HF radar, http://ak.aoos.org/output/CODAR/PWSS/200907/, both July 29 and 30. While the eastern flank of the cyclonic is robust with significant T/S gradient, the western flank of the eddy is not well established; this is true for both HF radar and ROMS. There are also increasing data drop out during the past day or so near the western sound. To have more drifter data along the western flank will fill the gaps of the HF radar data in this area.

The ROMS surface salinity is saltier than the measurements, suggesting the fresh-water input is under-estimated by the model. For example, those fresh-water inflow from glaciers are not represented in the model; we simply don't know how much fresh-water coming under the glaciers. More salinity profiles along the western flank of the eddy will help the model to establish the T/S gradient.

Given the limited boat-time, there is no need to sample the eastern flank of the eddy, so the boat can turn around at the center of the sound, see the attached image.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Drifter release site

I understand there is a desire to release drifters in the northern part of Montague Strait. I recommend that we not do that because we don't have internet connection, which makes it more difficult to find the drifters, and although the model suggests inflow most of us feel that things will flush out of there making it a high loss area. My preference is to put the drifters in at EW2 to get them in the strong current moving north. There are enough drifters that we can put some in at EW4, EW3, and EW2.
Scott

Cyclonic eddy in the center of Sound as seen by ROMS

As you can see from these images (color represents speed, arrow represents direction, and length of arrow is proportional to the speed) of current at surface (0-meter), 10-meter, and 20-meter, ROMS clearly shows a closed cyclonic eddy in the center of the sound at 20-meter depth. It is less evident in the surface and 10-meter current. With more cross-sections data being collected and assimilated, the surface circulation may improve in the coming days.

Data for July 29th, 2009 @ 10 PM

Data for July 29th, 2009 @ 10 PM

• Slocum glider (RU21)
  
• SLDMBS: 0729_1524
• Thermosalinograph: 7/28
• SnoTel/mooring CSV files refreshed: 7/29, 7/30
• Argosphere (0m): 7/29
  
• SVP (10m): 7/29
• Microstar

AOOS web site news:

• Tide Tables are back in service. The small windows will actually give you relavent tide information and not the FAR future!
• Water Temperature, Wind Speed, Wind Direction, Salinity, Chlorophyll readings from various SnoTel and PWSSC moorings attached to the AMBCS system and Naked Island data is available in daily CSV files. See Rob Campbell's entry under PI data. These files will be updated nightly through Aug 3rd. After that, they will be available from the AOOS SOS web service now required by IOOS for regional interoperability. The first phase of IOOS regional interoperability is implementation of the Data Integration Framework. Work to be completed and its first review of SOS and other interoperability services to be completed after September 2010.

Outside Bay Nearshore Mooring

Just a note to remind the field crew that Fei Chai's biological model is assimilating nearshore mooring data. Thus it is important to download the Rob Campbell's nearshore mooring in Outside Bay every evening. The logger is a SBE16+ V2, which uses the 5 pin seabird connector. Every boat in the field program should have this cable. If not I have a spare on the Auklet.

Mark H

WRF and ROMS forecast summary for July 28

07/28/2009 - A more or less N-S oriented surface high pressure ridge is entrenched in the eastern GOA With pressure gradients relatively weak across the PWS, conditions would be expected to be near quiescent with weak, variable winds. However, the observed southeasterly winds have been moderate (10-20 knots) and fairly unpredictable in the short term, though longer term trends have provided better guidance. PWS-WRF has done an admirable job with the wind directions over the past 24 hrs. Since the Gulf is in a fairly stable pressure configuration, the ridge is forecast to last for the next few days and PWS-WRF forecasts indicate little change in the moderate east to southeast flow through the next 24 hours. The mean ocean surface flow within the PWS is also little changed from yesterday, continuing to be generally northward to northwestward with the near-surface waters entering the Sound through the Hinchinbrook Entrance and exiting through the Knight Island Passage/Montague Strait entrance. HF radar observations later in the day today began to suggest the possible formation of a smaller-scale cyclonic eddy in the central Sound. Comparison of a 16-member ensemble of ROMS simulated trajectories with an observed drifter trajectory over a period of 72 hours showed reasonable agreement, although after about 30 hours the spread among the simulated trajectories became increasingly large. Tidal ranges continue to be on the decrease, for example, at Valdez, the tidal range will be around 10 feet. High water (5 feet) will be reached at 19AKDT and low water (-4 feet) will be reached at 1AKDT. There were no significant operational issues today.

2nd proposal sampling plan

Here are two more sections proposed for sampling in the coming days.

1) W - E transect: across the northern end of the Montague Strait.
This is also a region where I suggested yesterday to deploy more drifters.

2) W-E transect: across the northern end of the Knight Island Passage.

Neither of these has yet been sampled by glider, ship CTD, nor REMUS and there are some
interesting W to E gradients in T and S in ROMS that need to be validated.

Let me know if you have any questions.

-Yi

1st proposal sampling plan for Glider and/or REMUS

Given the cyclonic eddy is being established in the center of the sound, the highest priority (at least for the ROMS group) is to make sure that the temperature/salinity gradients across the eddy are properly measured. Over the past two days, we have sampled this center of the sound region by E-W and N-S sections. I propose to make two runs following the NW-SE and NE-SW sections, see the two red lines in the attached image. Let me know if you have any questions. Hopefully we can discuss this at our 8am telecon tomorrow. -Yi (just landed in the sleepless Seattle)

Data Report for July 28th, 2009

Data updates on the FTP site for July 28th, 2009 as of 10 PM AKDT:

• Slocum glider (RU21)
• CTD: updates for 7/23, 7/24, 7/25, new 7/28
• Thermosalinograph
• SLDMBS: 20090728_0344, 20090728_1624, 20090729_0341
• SVP: 10m
• Argosphere: 0m
• HF Radar: UP

Applied Science Associates (ASA) is publishing the PWS data on GoogleEarth every twelve hours. ASA has focused on improving the drifter track presentation. Be sure to check out the time slider and watch the drifters race around PWS. Each type of drifter track line is shown in a different color and you can individually select each float. Some basic quality control has been done to remove missing data. The WRF, ROMS and HF Radar layers are still there too.

Drifter trajectory display and PWS circulation patterns

Thanks to Carter and Rob for updating the drifter data. You can display each drifter trajectory or all the drifter trajectories (top image) at the JPL OurOcean/PWS portal, http://ourocean.jpl.nasa.gov/PWS, click "Drifter Trajectory & Observation". A cyclonic circulation in the sound is clearly evident in the sound with exit flow through the Knight Island Passage and the Montague Strait. From the ROMS simulation (lower-left image), the flow into the sound is mostly through the Hinchinbrook Entrance at the surface. However, at 20 meters, the flow into the sound is through the Montague Strait (lower-right image). Carl confirmed that this circulation pattern has been seen before probably driven by the fresh-water input.

Data Report for July 27th, 2009

Data for July 27th, 2009:

• Slocum glider (RU21)
• Microstar
• SVP 40m
• SVP 10m
• Argosphere 0m
• CTD: 9/27
• SLDMBS (to be processed in the AM)
• HF Radar: UP

WRF forecast wind map and its comparison with buoy/station data

In case you didn't see it yet, the WRF hourly wind map (left panel) is displayed at the JPL OurOcean/PWS portal (http://ourocean.jpl.nasa.gov/PWS, click WRF Wind). When clicking the weather buoy/station, users can display the comparison between the observed and WRF simulated wind speed and direction (right panel). By evaluating the performance during the past two days, one can estimate the uncertainty in the 2-day forecast.

WRF and ROMS forecast summary for July 27

The dominant features on the weather scene today are a high pressure ridge extending northward along the east side of the GOA and a low pressure center rapidly approaching the Alaska Peninsula. Larger-scale forecast models are having difficulty with this low and as a result today's PWS-WRF run
was not initialized especially well. In addition, as we enter a period of weaker winds, PWS-WRF is struggling a bit with forecasting wind direction. Winds today have decreased to between 5 and 15 knots over much of the PWS. For the most part, the wind direction continues to be from the east to
southeast. PWS-WRF forecasts call for a general continuation of this moderate east to southeast flow through the coming 24 hours, but note that this is a relatively low confidence forecast due to difficulties handling the approaching low pressure center.

The flow within much of the PWS as revealed by drifter trajectories and
ROMS nowcasts/forecasts continues to be generally northward to northwestward.
In addition, ROMS has been suggesting for several days that this flow - which enters through the Hinchinbrook Entrance - has been exiting through the Knight Island Passage/Montague Strait.
This flow pattern has been confirmed by recent drifter trajectories, including one released in the Knight Island Passage (see Figure attached that can be generated at the JPL OurOcean/PWS portal). The tidal range at all stations continues to slowly decrease from its recent peak. The ROMS ensemble forecast was delayed today (due to the downtime at the JPL supercomputing center), otherwise there were no significant operational issues.

Image generation

Take a look at the Your Pages for Prince William Sound to see new images.

Find ROMS Forecast imagery for currents, temperature, salinity and sea surface height all in one place. Forecast images display in the AOOS "Latest Data" image/data portal. Follow links to left under the Latest Data heading. {great 'animations' by rolling over multiple links.} -- these load inside Latest Data inside the Ocean Forecast menu.

Coming* - images for SWAN (please note that Latest Data images for SWAN currently load with the most recent forecast data but an 'old look.') We've got scripts generating the new look from the data streaming in. This is not yet loaded in Latest Data. However, it is on the Your Pages: Prince William Sound.

*The script is generating the images you can check the following directory.

jm for Rob Cermak

Auklet plan 7/27

Hey everyone,
Today we will be doing the NS line, and probably the HL line.
-Kerstin

Drifter coverage through July 26th via Google Earth

Here is a snapshot of drifter coverage through July 26th, 2009 as seen through Google Earth. The kml file will be updated nightly between 8 PM and 10PM AKDT.

Data report for July 26nd 2009 @ 10 PM AKDT

Data report for Sunday, July 26th, 2009 @ 10 PM AKDT:

• Slocum glider
  
• SVP 10m
• Argosphere 0m
• Thermosalinograph: 7/25
• CTD: 7/25
• HF Radar: Down (7/26 @ 11 AM AKDT, Knowles Bay site is offline)
  
• SLDMBS: 7/27 0102 file was corrupted or had no data in it, have to wait for a Monday update
  

Alena K

Smooth day on the Alena K today. REMUS ran across Simpson Bay at W146 10.000. It completed 6 passes over 9 hours. We had a very close call with the tug and barge coming out of Cordova this evening, which got my blood pressure up a little. Scott and Megan completed CTD casts on the OB line where we met up the Auklet for the first time of the study. We are actually both doing work! Amazing. Off to hide from the storm tonight. Hope everybody is safe and sound.

Ian

Daily Summary of PWS Forecasting

East to southeast winds over the region have decreased to 10 knots or less this morning.
However, another intense low pressure area is rapidly approaching and winds are forecast to rapidly increase later this afternoon and tonight. Winds are forecast to decrease nearly as rapidly on Sunday. The wind direction is forecast to change little through the weekend. ROMS nowcasts (HF radar data missing) and available drifter trajectories suggest that the surface ocean flow within the central PWS continues to be generally northward to northwestward and the forecasts call for this general flow to continue and increase some in association with the forecast increase in winds this weekend. Recent glider observations have confirmed the existence of higher surface salinity waters in the central Sound that have been suggested by the ROMS nowcasts for the past few days.
Comparisons of newly available drifter trajectories with ROMS computed trajectories show reasonable agreement (see images below for start time of 2009072318, end time 2009072418). The tidal range at all stations is slowly decreasing from its recent peak.
There were no significant operational issues today.

A more detailed summary report can be found at the JPL OurOcean Portal, http://ourocean.jpl.nasa.gov/PWS

Data Report for July 25th, 2009

Data at the FTP site at 10 PM:

• Argosphere (0m): 7/24, 7/25
• SVP(10m): 7/24, 7/25
• SLDMBS(7/25: 0520, 1813)
• Slocum glider (RU21; 7/25, 7/26)
• CTD: 7/23, 7/24, 7/25
• HF Radar Status: UP
  

Nite!

11PM arrival:

• Remus
  

WRF, ROMS, and SWAN

Model data for WRF, ROMS and SWAN are available through Mapserver. Thanks to Steve Gaffigan for getting the data online before departing AOOS. Thanks to Janene McMahan for digging into the AOOS data management system. More integration to follow with data and formats and general flow of information into AOOS more or less stabilizing.

Snapshot at 2009-07-23 at 6Z with wind speed, surface currents and wave directions plotted using model data produced at 2009-07-23 at 6Z.


Information is available via AOOS's Interactive GIS Mapping Tool. Data layers can be found in the following areas:

Forecast: Regional = AEFF WRF wind forecast, etc
Ocean Forecast: Regional = ROMS, SWAN

The Time and File Time are in the format YYYY-MM-DD-HH and is in GMT time.

The Time is the observation time you would like. The File Time allows you to select a particular model run time you wish to use. If an exact match is not found, the nearest run to that time is then used. This is needed as ROMS, WRF and SWAN all have different initialization times.

For a File Time of 2009-07-23 at 6Z, this selects the following model initialization times:

WRF: 2009/07/23 00Z
ROMS: 2009/07/23 06Z (exact match)
SWAN: 2009/07/22 12Z

Using a Time of 2009-07-23 at 6Z:

WRF: You will view the 6 hour forecast.
ROMS: You will view the 0 hour forecast, initialization.
SWAN: You will view the 18 hour forecast.

In the Information window below, the column with Time / Depth Information will display the model run selected and the forecast hour within the run that was selected for the plot.

WRF: 2009/07/23 00 GMT (6.0 hr)
ROMS: 2009/07/23 06 GMT (0.0 hr)
SWAN: 2009/07/22 12 GMT (18.0 hr)

The graphic above shows Hinchinbrook entrance. Surface currents heading north, waves heading west to northwest and 10 meters winds heading northwest.

Data Report for July 24th, 2009

Data for July 24th, 2009: [25th @ 12:53 AM]

• Remus
• Glider
  
• SLDMBS, SVP and Argosphere
• Thermosalinograph
• CTD casts from 7/23, 7/24
• HF Radar: down; Knowles Bay not reporting; Shelter Bay is still operating

Update from the Auklet.....

Hey all...
We've had a busy two days on the Auklet, doing CTD casts and some biological sampling. The weather hasn't exactly been flat calm and sunny but it looks like the best weather we will get in the near future. Besides are systems and sea-legs are greatly improving, and we did some sampling today in waves that would have seemed imposible a few days ago.
Kerstin

New HFR _ Model comparison

We uploaded a new avi movie showing the model currents and the HFR currents with the gyre from this morning.


Glen Watabayashi
John Whitney

Thanks USCG!

Steve and I made it out to both HF Radar sites yesterday afternoon thanks to the USCG who flew us out in one of their SAR Jayhawk Helicopters. We were able to reset, refuel and reboot both of the sites and get data delivery back online. We'll revisit the sites today and continue to work with CODAR technicians debugging the DC/DC +5V hardware issue that has developed. Kudos to all in the Sound for all of their hard work in such gnarly weather conditions. Also, thanks to Rutgers for getting plots online of the glider data. Wow, that's some amazing stratification down at 40 m. (http://marine.rutgers.edu/~kerfoot/glider_portal/active/gliders/ru21/data_products/cross_sections/ru21_090723T2004_090724T1212_pws2009_sal_xsec.jpg) One can only assume that the 40 m drogues are being caught in a high shear zone... Keep your fingers crossed for a weaker storm cycle this weekend.
Hank

MODIS visible images 7/9, 7/17

There was a great shot of PWS back on 7/9 via MODIS as processed by GINA. Of course, the storm moved in and has been blanketed by clouds. There is a gap to the East of PWS on 7/17. Images are just now appearing during the PWS Field Experiment window. A link was added to the PI data page (Cermak/MODIS). We will monitor for good images of the fresh water plumes that have been mentioned the con calls as well as good images over PWS.

7/9/2009:

Data report for July 23nd 2009 @ 10 PM AKDT

New data for July 23nd 2009 @ 10 PM AKDT: (cc: John & Peggy JPL)

• REMUS
• Slocum glider
• SLDMBS_20090724_0458
• Thermosalinograph: 7/22, 7/23
• Drifter directories cleaned up, temporary files removed (no new data today except for SLDMBS)
• AND... HF Radar resumes operations.

Glider Success

The glider is finally in the middle of the sound. We started the day with the launch of the REMUS for another pass up the channel to Cordova. After another flawless launch we went to pick the glider up because it was ballasted to lightly and could not dive below the thermocline. We added some weight and steamed out to EW1 since the ocean was actually relatively calm. We dumped the glider in and it swam away, happy to be in the middle of the sound where it was supposed to be. Glider positions and plots can be found at http://marine.rutgers.edu/cool/auvs/?page=deployments under RU21. Scott did CTD profiles at EW1 and a spot 5 degrees longitude east of EW1. We finished up the day by picking up the REMUS and shipping Mark Moline back to California.

Ian

Drifter map

We plotted out the drifter movements for the ARGOS surface drifters and the 10 and 40 meter drifters. The pdf picture is on the ftp site.

Looks like the surface drifters are on the beach.


Is there a score card off all the drifters that have been deployed? Something like and Excel file that says when and where the went into the water and their status... still out there, picked up, beached ...


Glen Watabayashi

Remus data

The PI data page has been updated with a link to the recently uploaded Remus data from the RU21 glider!

July 22 Wed WRF and ROMS forecast summary

The low-pressure system dominating the weather pattern has moved little in the last 24 hours, but has filled a bit and is forecast to move slowly to the NE and weaken. This should allow pressure gradients across the PWS region to weaken and the strong east-to-southeast winds to decrease. While PWS-WRF model forecast wind speeds have been very accurate, the wind direction forecast has shown a larger southerly component to the winds than observed. Associated with the continued strong east to southeast surface winds, twenty-four hour mean ROMS forecast surface currents (HF radar observations are not available) show a strong inflow into the PWS through both the Hinchinbrook Entrance and Montague Strait. This inflow is forecast to weaken somewhat during the second 24 hours of the forecast. As a consequence of this inflow it appears that some higher salinity waters from outside are being advected into the Sound, primarily through the Montague Strait. A comparison of one of the SVP 10m drifter tracks with a cluster of ROMS simulated trajectories shows good qualitative agreeement. The drifter, released in the central Sound, undergoes a small excursion to the southwest, followed by steady movement to the northwest. Most of the simulated drifters in the cluster show the same movement, though a bit slower than the observed.

More detailed report with figures can be found at the JPL OurOcean/PWS portal, http://ourocean.jpl.nasa.gov/PWS.

-Yi (from Johannesburg airport)

Data report for July 22nd 2009 @ 10 PM AKDT

Some ftp communication problems may have prevented upload of datasets for today. Data communication timeout periods were adjusted at 8PM, hope that will help problems with dropped connections during transfer.

Datasets that arrived via FTP are:

• Updates to Microstars and 40m SVPs
• 2009-07-22: 10m SVPs, Argospheres
  
• SLDMBS (20090723_0405)
  
• Remus data

Processing updates:

• Microstar and the 40m SVPs are now available for the GNOME group.

New trajectory forecast

We uploaded a new forecast using the latest ROMS and WRF wind forecast for the ARGOS drifters. They are coming ashore.

On the image we also show how the previous forecast matched up with the actual drifter locations.

Glen Watabayashi
John Whitney

Tech Note: FTP transfer to AOOS

Just a quick tech note on the FTP site.

Most of the stuff we are passing around is ASCII. Some might be binary like unprocessed ADCP, matlab (.mat) files, etc. Before sending those type files, please be sure you are using the 'bin' or 'binary' transfer. The site claims transfers are in binary, but it isn't.

[ctm@dp2 ~]$ ftp 137.229.40.79
Connected to 137.229.40.79.
220 AOOS FTP Service
530 Please login with USER and PASS.
530 Please login with USER and PASS.
KERBEROS_V4 rejected as an authentication type
Name (137.229.40.79:ctm): pws
331 Please specify the password.
Password:
230 Login successful.
Remote system type is UNIX.
Using binary mode to transfer files.
ftp> bin
200 Switching to Binary mode.

Thanks much!

In Cordova

The AUV group from Cal Poly is still in Cordova, but they have been getting out during the day. Today we ran a short Remus run from a very freshwater area across a front to a salty area. We then we ran down to test the glider once more before releasing it. We were a bit brave and launched it near shore for a short test flight. It didn't manage to go very far and when it came up it went against the wind straight for a set of rocks. Rutgers probably doesn't want to know how close to the rocks the system got before we were able to get to it. Unfortunately we don't have pictures because we were kind of busy trying to get it to safety. We picked it up and got lucky in that the weather let us out to the middle of the channel where we released the glider. It seemed to be struggling to go with the tide to head to the central sound.

The weather continues to go downhill here, but we are hoping to sneak out in the morning and find a protected spot to send the Remus out for the day.

HFR on national server

Jack Harlan informs me that the HFR data is now being served through the national server.
You can go to the National Data Buoy Center site to see it. It appears that the folks down at Scripps were delayed in posting the data through the server.

As our last task of the day we generated a forecast for the drifters that went out this morning (July 21). The forecast uses ROMS data and WRF data in GNOME. We couldn't post to the ftp site so I sent it out as email to Rob Cermak, Yi Chao and John Whitney. The data went out to late this afternoon so that's how far out we went.

Hope for better weather tomorrow and more data.

As the other drifters are deployed it would be good if the lat-long positions and
times (to the hour) were recorded and posted

Glen Watabayashi

PWSSC data

I have uploaded the first PWSSC drifter files. Usually, they would cover 6pm - 6pm, but since they went in yesterday afternoon I just dumped everything we had up until about 10am this morning.

The GPS positions on the 10m SVPs are not looking good, so I used the ARGOS positions instead. These have a larger error, and are measured less frequently than every half hour. I still gridded to 1/2 hour, though. There is a little one-liner readme in the svp directory that says exactly this.

I will update this directory with the usual 24 hr report at 6pm tonight.

HF Radar

The HF radar is down at Knowles Bay. We have rebooted from Fairbanks but that did not solve the problem. It is possibly a hardware problem with this seven year old receive chassis, or simply a loose cable to the receive antenna, or something else. When a weather window opens, Hank will head to the site and check things over. Steve Sweet is headed to Cordova tomorrow, Wednesday, to help troubleshoot.

Mark J

GNOME comparison of ROMS and HFR

We uploaded a GNOME movie of the currents for PWS into the ftp site. The area is the HFR data coverage area.
There are two sets of currents, one from ROMS and the other from HFR. As you flip through the frames, the velocities on the finer grid is from ROMS, the current vectors on the coarser grid is from the HFR data at the same time.

The differences are obvious. We don't know which is closer to reality. In an actual spill of oil we would compare everything back to the how the oil was moving.


Glen Watabayashi
John Whitney

First drifter data hits the AOOS portal

Heads up, for those looking for initial drifter data from PWS, there are QTY(2) 40-meter and QTY(2) microstar data files posted. See: http://ak.aoos.org/aoos/fieldexp/data_by_pi-researcher.html (Ohlmann).

Direct access for recent data:

40-meter: http://penguin.sfos.uaf.edu/output/pws/Ohlmann/40_meter/ASCII/
microstar: http://penguin.sfos.uaf.edu/output/pws/Ohlmann/microstar/ASCII/

Thanks to the PWS team for deployment of the drifters and Carter handling the reception and processing of the 40 meter and microstar data.

From the plan:

"During the main study periods the drifters will be released at two sites 60 35N 146 56W and 60 47N 146 56W (Figure 9). The first location listed is where drifters were deployed in the 2004 experiment. The drifters will be deployed in two groups that contain at least three of each style of drifter except the 40 m drogued units, which will be deployed only at the southern location."

So, the 40m deployment location is 60 35N 146 56W. The microstars: "On July 20th the microstar drifters will be released between the two HF radar stations (~ station EW2 60 35.00N 146 40.00W)".

Drifter locations

So we see that the Vixen did deploy some drifters.
When and where were they deployed?
Were these surface or subsurface drifters.

Get us the info and we will do the modeling.

Glen Watabayashi
glen.watabayashi@noaa.gov

Drifters

John Whitney and I were looking for the lat-long positions where the drifters were going to be deployed. We couldn't find the info. Does anyone know where they will eventually go in? The thought is that while we wait out mother nature we can do some trajectory runs anyway.

Glen Watabayashi
(206)526-6324
glen.watabayashi@noaa.gov
john.whitney@noaa.gov

HFR data on National Server?

We don't see the HFR data showing up on the national server like the Upper Cook data was last month. We here in Seattle HAZMAT need it to show up on the national server to get the access we want to the data. This is what we agreed upon, right?

Glen Watabayashi (Bushy)
(206)526-6324
glen.watabayashi@noaa.gov

PWS Data & Model Visualization Made Public Via Google Earth and Cloud Computing

Applied Science Associates (ASA) has enabled public access to real-time data from the Prince William Sound (PWS) experiment through Google Earth. ASA is posting ROMS Data (Dr. Yi Chao), WRF Data (Dr. Peter Olsson), and HFRadar (Dr. Mark Johnson) plus ASA drifter simulations using these model data (sources: http://ak.aoos.org/aoos/fieldexp/data_by_pi-researcher.html). ASA has integrated data from PWS experiment's ocean observing systems and models to create Google Earth KML files which are hosted using Amazon cloud computing. Amazon S3 storage enables efficient distribution of large datasets by dividing the work among computers based in data centers around the globe.

The Google Earth link:
http://asascience_pws.s3.amazonaws.com/PWS_DATA.kml

New data sets are being added and improvements are being made all the time so be sure to check back regularly. Let us know if you have comments or suggestions: contact David Stuebe (of ASA)

Incoming data

The thermosalinograph was running today and I uploaded the data to AOOS. The connection was marginal at best, but it doesn't appear to be at this end. Do not use the data when the boat isn't moving. The engine needs to be in gear for water to flush through the system.

We will be trying to get back out in the morning and working near Cordova. The glider appeared to pass its tests so we hope to get it out in the morning.

Whoever wished for bad weather should be happy. Too bad we can't do much work in it.

Glider hiccups

We are safe and SOUND back in Cordova. After leaving port today we headed out to launch the glider north of Hawkins Island. The glider had trouble flying after the initial test runs, but did not provide any clues to what the problem may be. We went to Windy Bay to run some more test flights and hide from the wind. The glider seemed to correct itself and ran great, but Rutgers needs to look at the data and make sure it will be ready to fly tomorrow. We are planning to do a short REMUS run in the morning and then launch the glider around 14:00. Good luck to everybody tomorrow.

Ian

Vixen and Alena K departures

It was dark and gloomy in the harbor this morning as loading the boats happened. Rain and wind squalls moved through with periodic lightening of the sky (for very brief moments). The Vixen left about 10:30 am and the Alena K was gone by 1:30 p.m.

One fisherman asked Andy Craig (capt. of the Alena K) what the "missile" he had on board was all about. Mark Moline gave a short description of the glider (aka the "missile") to Andy's son before they left... and the missile's tail fin later proved to be an excellent "table" for a piece of pizza.

rough weather

Hey all,
Currently we are doing extreme blogging so you should be proud. The waves are too rough for anymore ctd casts in the central sound, so after NS3 we decided to head east and do the OB line. there are swells from the south and chop from the north east, so the further south the Auklet went the worse the conditions became.

-Kerstin

Update from the Auklet

Hi Everyone

We're right in the central sound now...conditions are worsening. Dave estimates 3-5 ft swell on average, whitecaps, and 25 knot winds. We skipped a CTD EW4 because the boat was rolling too severely, and because our cast at EW3 had a 45 degree wire angle!

We're motoring westwards towards Naked I hoping the conditions will get better as we move west.

Mark H

M/V Auklet gets underway

Crew member Chris waves as the Auklet leaves the Cordova Harbor on this pretty wet morning! On board are Captain Dave Janka, Mark Halverson, Kerstin Cullen and Rebekkah Federer (and Chris).

Even with the damp weather (and more threatening in a day...), spirits were high. Along with plankton nets, CTDs and computers, at least one guitar and banjo were loaded on board (just in case there's "down" time).






















After a safety briefing, the boat left at just after 9 a.m.

They'll do hydrographic and some biological sampling later today, weather permitting... the winds were calm as they pulled out but have kicked up in Cordova this afternoon.

Pictured above is the Auklet leaving with the PWS Science Center building to the right.

Cordova Open House

We had a great turnout for at the Cordova Open House late Friday afternoon! Held at the PWS Science Center's warehouse, the public was invited to see the oceanographic equipment that will be deployed this week, and also meet some of the scientists and technicians participating in the experiment. About 40-45 people stopped by during the two-hour event and many seemed very impressed with the glider, AUV and drifters. Pete Puffin watched from a perch on a crate as the Open House visitors looked at the gear and asked questions about how it works and what the data results will tell us. Among the crowd were fishermen, resource managers, some long-time residents, and several visitors from Anchorage who were in Cordova for a Native Village of Eyak sponsored conference on alternative energy options the community might explore.

Posted by N. Bird

Weather sucks

I don't know who wanted the bad weather, but it seems like they will get their wish. The good news is that the forecast for Sunday has improved and it is more likely the Auklet will leave on time. The bad news is that the forecast for the rest of the week has gotten worse and conditions will be pretty marginal.

Scott

A small error in the APRN radio piece

I was not involved in the 2004 field experiment, so it is NOT the NASA JPL who failed to predict the cyclonic circulation in the Sound. Hopefully we will do better this time around. Let's find out early next week.

APRN Radio Broadcast

Just in case you didn't read 'marz' comments on the previous entry or didn't hear it on the radio, here is a link to the APRN radio piece:

http://media.aprn.org/2009/ann-20090717-05.mp3

Thanks, marz,
Rachel

HF Radar Surface Current Maps

Maps of the surface currents in the Sound collected by HF Radar are now updating hourly in real-time. You can view them on the AOOS data site.

Hello PWS team, this is Darcy Dugan in Anchorage, reporting on a successful press conference yesterday at the AOOS headquarters. Scott gave a great presentation and overview of the project in front of an audience that included Channel 11, the Alaska Public Radio Network, Congressman Don Young's staff, the MMS, Chugach National Forest, Petroluem News, and others. We even got to see a drifter. Great job Scott!

It was also the innagural voyage of Pete Puffin (pictured at left) who will be accompanying researchers on many adventures in the next few weeks. Keep an eye out for Pete. I hear he goes with the current. (Where will he emerge next?)

I look forward to seeing you all in Valdez soon. If you need any assistance from Anchorage, please call. I started at the Alaska Ocean Observing System several weeks ago as the new program manager, and am excited to meet everyone.

Keep those blog posts coming!

Hi everyone, this is Leslie, your friendly public blogger. Thanks for the great material so far and keep those entries coming! Also, I may sometimes post humorous photos and video from the Experiment here that is meant just for the gang-- and not necessarily for the public. So send me your ridiculous material at leslie.abramson@noaa.gov

Leslie

Daily Summary - ROMS Group

The Prince William Sound region is dominated by the relatively weak SW winds, which are not forecast to change substantially in the next 48 hours. At the ocean surface, a moderate-strength cyclonic eddy is present in the center of the Sound which is forecast to persist through the next 48 hours. Surface drifter trajectories predicted using an ensemble of ocean model simulations from a release point near the center of the cyclonic eddy show rather short and chaotic movements over the next 48 hours with an uncertainty in ending location of 2-3 km. For the next two days, the tidal range will around 8 feet. High water at Valdez will be around 4 feet at 19 AKDT and low water around -4 feet at 2 AKDT. The 4km WRF forecast was delayed by about 12 hours, otherwise there were no significant operational issues.

You can see this from our front web page: http://ourocean.jpl.nasa.gov/PWS/

click July 15, you can get the 5-page detailed daily summary in a pdf file.

As we are getting more real-time data, we plan to plot their locations on this front page as well.
The drifter locations will be in a separate page, because of the large number.

Our plan is to repeat this every day, so that we can improve our presentation and daily summary as we start our FE next week.  Any ideas, comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Regards.  -Yi 

ROMS NPZ prediction live

In collaboration with Prof. Fei Chai at University of Maine, we have successfully coupled ROMS circulation/tides with a NPZ model, known as CoSINE (Carbon, Si(OH)4, Nitrogen Ecosystem) ecosystem model. The CoSINE model includes silicate, nitrate and ammonium, two phytoplankton groups, two zooplankton grazers, two detrital pools, TCO2 and recently oxygen has been added to constrain remineralization processes in the model. The CoSINE model has been applied to North Pacific, the equatorial Pacific, and the California coastal upwelling system. Below the euphotic zone, sinking particulate organic matter is converted to inorganic nutrients by a regeneration process, in which organic matter decays to ammonium and then is nitrified to NO3. Incorporating oxygen into the ecosystem model adds extra constraints on the treatment of regeneration processes in the model, and there are many dissolved oxygen measurements for the Prince William Sound. Silicate regeneration is modeled through a similar approach but with a deeper regeneration depth profile, which reflects the tendency of biogenic silica to have higher preservation efficiency compared to other particulate organic matter.

You can access the most updated CoSINE/NPZ model prediction at http://ourocean.jpl.nasa.gov/PWSBIO/. If you have any questions or need to see more images and access the data, please contact Dr. Yi Chao and/or Prof. Fei Chai (fchai@maine.edu). Dr. Rob Campbell from the PWS science center will collect biological samples during the field experiment with a goal to assess the biological model performance and prediction skill.

Getting ready for daily ROMS prediction

The JPL ROMS team is working hard to get ready for the daily ROMS prediction of the PWS 3D circulation and tides. You can find the most updated ROMS prediction at the JPL web page: http://ourocean.jpl.nasa.gov/PWS. We plan to post our six-hourly nowcast and the 48-hour forecast daily, usually available on the web page in the morning. Currently we are getting satellite measurement of sea surface temperature from national centers. As more in situ and HF radar data become available next week, we will assimilate them into ROMS so that our nowcast and forecast can be improved. We will make a number of side-by-side (ROMS vs Data) comparisons so as to assess the ROMS performance and prediction skills. A web-based drifter trajectory tool has been developed to track the locations of the various drifters being deployed as well as produce ROMS-predicted drifter trajectories to assess the model performance and to enable adaptive sampling (or deployment planning). If we have access to the JPL supercomputers (shared with 5000+ JPL employees), we plan to produce ensemble ROMS predictions: making multiple ROMS predictions using slightly different initial conditions, atmospheric forcing and lateral boundary conditions. The goal for this ensemble prediction is to estimate the uncertainty of the ROMS predicted drifter trajectory, similar as the "track forecast cone" using by the hurricane predictions, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Track_forecast_cone.

Working with Prof. Peter Olsson at UAA, we are also display real-time comparisons between the observed wind and WRF-predicted wind with a goal to assess the skill of the atmospheric wind prediction. A good ROMS ocean circulation forecast depends heavily on the accurate atmospheric forecast, including wind, air-sea heat flux, and rainfall.

Starting tomrrow July 15, we will issue our daily summary describing the state of PWS meteorology, oceanography and the operational status of ROMS nowcast/forecast.

If you have any questions and need to reach us, please feel free to contact the PI (Dr. Yi Chao, Yi.Chao@jpl.nasa.gov, cell phone 818-434-9612) and the JPL ROMS team (Dr. John Farrara, Dr. Gene Li, Dr. Peggy Li, Dr. Xin Jin, and Quoc Vu).

Shelter Bay CSS Blues

Sunday July 12, 2009 – 9:00 am:
Yesterday we put up the receive antenna, finished tweaking on the genset, finalized the Hughes Net and turned the CODAR on. We saw some EMF interference with the engine controller so we moved the transmit antenna further away from the huts and that solved the problem. After running the CODAR for a few minutes we saw that no cross-specra were being processed so we began to debug. After many hours of trying and no success we sent an email to customer support and now await the report. Today we’ll continue tweaking on the genset and CODAR until we are happy with their performance. If the CODAR starts behaving normally we’ll conduct antenna calibrations and head on back to Knowles Bay for a check up, since it’s been almost 4 days since we left that site and it is probably getting lonely without us. ;-)

HS

Shelter Bay Activities

Friday July 10, 2009: 7:50 am

On Thursday morning we were again greeted by a black bear and bald eagle on the beach. Finishing touches were applied to the Knowles Bay site, the antennas calibrated, the genset tweaked and our gear carried back to the beach for transport to the Auklet. The hut housing the SeaSonde electronics was getting really warm, so it was ventilated in order for the system to work properly. At 3 pm we departed Knowles Bay, and by 5 pm we had the entire crew on the beach at Shelter Bay. To our surprise both fiberglass huts had pitched forward, half suspended in the trees over the edge of a small cliff. Whoops! We can only assume that at some point a blast of wind caught the 2m Starband satellite dish and caused the whole assembly to flip.

We unloaded 16 batteries, the Biodiesel genset and the biodiesel drums from the Auklet to the zodiac and then onto the beach. From the landing beach we transported all of the gear 150 m along the beach, up the bank and the down the meadow to the sites. Then, we decided to have a go at turning our huts back over. Steve and Mark disassembled the dish and removed enough brush so that the huts were free to be overturned while Hank, Rachel and Leslie emptied propane tanks from the A-frame structure that will house the biodiesel generator. We attached the come-along to the dish mast and then started the hauling process. As soon as the tension began to lift the hut, snap! The line parted, and Mark called an end to operations for Thursday. Back on board the Auklet, we regrouped and put some food into our systems. Not long after, a group of Humpback whales put on a show for us blowing, tail wagging and then the full Free Willy out of the water breach. Wow, what a spectacle. We all turned in pretty early and have awoken this morning to our first grey, rainy day. We’re about to organize gear on deck and then start transporting it to the beach when the tide comes up a bit.

HS

Saturday July 11, 2009 -- 8:45 am:

It’s Saturday morning, where are the cartoons? First off here’s a quick note, don’t swim in Prince William Sound, there’s SHARKS!!! We will probably not be making the swim call anytime soon as we have observed the definitive dorsal fin of a salmon shark circling our boat for the last two days.

Yesterday we made tons of progress on the shelter bay site starting with overturning those huts that were blown over. Once upright, we emptied out all the water and much that had accumulated inside and started to install the Hughes net satellite communications system. While Steve and Rachel worked out the comms, Mark and I installed the battery bank, the power panel and began the assembly of the Ample Power genset. All of our various projects came to a full stop when a big blonde grizzly wandered by on the hillside above our camp, we only saw him for a few seconds before he disappeared into the trees but his presence put us all on edge for the rest of the day. Leslie, our media and outreach specialist, took on the job of bear spotter and at one point thought she heard the bear on the beach in front of us. Yikes! A radio call to the Auklet verified that it was imagined but still, the thought of a hungry bear circling our little CODAR camp was creepy. Besides that, at 3 pm Leslie left us on a float plane ride back to Cordova so we were on our own.

We worked another twelve hour day yesterday and came back to the Auklet to the fantastic news of a Halibut catch by the second mate, Kevin. He pulled in a 37 pounder and decided to share it with us. David baked it up to perfection and a feast was had by all. Today we’ll be putting the finishing touches on the Hughes Net comms system, plumbing in the genset, wiring it to the power panel and installing the CODAR. Keep your fingers crossed for us that we don’t see Blondie the Bruin today.

Meet Members of the Team

Hello from the Sound.

Hank reports the new biodiesel gensets are running smoothly and sends along a link to his Picasa album.

Photo: Mark Johnson

Additional team members currently prepping materials for data collection: Mark Johnson, Rachel Potter and Steve Sweet.

Hank notes that the Auklet makes for 'close quarters.' This wouldn't appear to phase Rachel.

Photo: Hank Statscewich

Posts from the Field

July 6

UAF HF Radar crew drove down to Valdez with 5,000 lbs of gear and met Auklet at 9am in Valdez. Unloaded most of the lighter equipment from the trailer at the dock due to low tide and then used the commercial fishing fleet’s crane to load 8 barrels of biodiesel, 32 batteries, the generators, CODAR equipment, spares, satellite dishes and all the tools to put everything together. Left the dock at 12:30am and arrived at Knowles Bay by 5pm. First trip to shore at 5pm and worked till 8pm. Took ashore 4 containers of biodiesel, tools, power panel and genset. Cleared brush, started dismantling the A-frame and huts, and got ready to set things up. Flat calm conditions today were near perfect for beach landings with our heavy gear.

MJ and HS

July 7, 2009: 21:24 hrs PWS HF Radar experiment Day 2

Today we started with a superb breakfast of French toast and sausages before spotting a black bear on the beach 100 m north of our site. We kept our bear spray at the ready on our first beach assault of the day. Once ashore, the final touches were put on clearing out the A-frame. That 600 lb genset was a bear to move! The old Starband satellite dish was removed and the Hughes Net dish installed. By lunchtime, the new genset was well on it’s way to being installed, and we nearly had high speed internet. We took advantage of the high tide after lunch to move 16 batteries to the beach, one of us (Steve) even carried two 70 lb batteries at once. By the early afternoon, the CODAR antennas were installed, the batteries all checked out and the Hughes Net Satellite was found. Mark worked assertively with the fuel pump, earning excellent remarks all around.

A small glitch with the Hughes Net modem held us up from posting this blog yesterday, but by the end of the day, the high speed internet was installed, the genset was working, and the CODAR is almost there. David Janka had an awesome dinner ready of Alaskan shrimp, red beans and rice. We followed up a steamy hot day of work with an appropriate swim call and are now basking in a hazy glow of exhaustion.

HS

Weds July 8th

Eagle and bear on beach in the morning. Mark’s pics of bear are from this morning, below the “hanging log”. Calm weather still in place. Set up SeaSonde electronics. Put them in second hut. Installed and tested biodiesel generator. Tightened belt. Moved up propane to upper beach. One tank self-depressured. Steve put it north of our location. Put up tarp. Configured network. Leslie Abramson flew out on charter flight. Used our network and had problems with her cellphone modem. Came ashore around noon. Moved transmit antennae to eliminate RF interference. Put 25m north of the electronics hut which reduced interference. Steve (David’s crew) suggested twisted shielded cable to help fix the RF interference. Put conduit on all the cable that was set on the ground. Unspooled and respooled cable.

First data collected and sent to Fairbanks.

Shrimp scramble for breakfast and burgers (beef, Garden, and/or salmon) for dinner.

MJ

From Prince William Sound July 2009

Greetings! The HF radar team is heading to Valdez to board the Auklet and will head into Prince William Sound Monday July 6th!

Mark J

Look and feel

Hello PIs -
[snip-new masthead added] This blog is for the PIs to share observations, ideas, concepts... GREAT photos and tidbits of what is going on.

If (as a PI) you want to contribute to the blog and you have a gmail account you can email ocean.observing@gmail.com from your gmail account and I'll go add you in as an administrator and contributor to this blog.

Thanks, Hank for setting this up.

AS A COURTESY - if you post using ocean.observing@gmail.com please put your name in the salutation at the end of your post.

Janene (the helpful gal in the office)

The First Post

Ahoy mateys this is the first post to the Observing Oceans Blog. Stay Tuned...
Hank