Southern Ocean Acoustic Propagation for Tracking Floats

Florida State University, Tallahassee FL

Investigators

Abstract

0244305 Speer A theoretical study of acoustic propagation in the Southern Ocean and an in-situ test will be conducted to help determine the experimental parameters needed to plan future field work. The results will also be of some fundamental interest since so little is known about large-scale acoustical propagation of signals relevant to float tracking in the Southern Ocean. Future observational studies of the role of small-scale (subgrid scale) processes in the Southern Ocean, the transports they produce, and their effect on the larger scale circulation will involve a combination of measurement techniques, including Lagrangian techniques, because these have played a key role constraining lateral eddy fluxes. Floats have also been deployed to support both lateral and diapycnal studies with deliberately released tracers, in a variety of environments. Acoustically tracked floats have not, however, previously been used in large-scale experiments in the Southern Ocean, outside of the Agulhas-Benguela current system just north of the ACC (and still within the subtropics). Questions of dispersion, for sampling requirements, and sound propagation, for float tracking, need to be answered to be able to proceed reasonably with experiment design.