First JERICO-TNA glider mission ended successfully
In the frame of JERICO EU funded project (http://www.jerico-fp7.eu/) and its Trans National Agreement (TNA) open international call for access to gliders, the Spanish glider Seaglider 'sdeep03' successfully ended the first round trip mission from the Balearic Islands to Sardinia (see previous news on this mission from 24/10/2012; 25/01/2013 and 19/02/2013).
'Sdeep03' was recovered 8 nm off Portocolom on March 16, after navigating, almost autonomously, during 44 days and covering 450 nautical miles. To perform this mission, the glider consumed 66 Ahr from its lithium batteries, approximately 7,5 MJ, the equivalent to the energy consumed by a 125cc scooter in just 15 minutes. The glider sampled physical and biogeochemical variables and encountered extreme atmospheric conditions in an area of high scientific interest (water masses formation, intense atmosphere-ocean fluxes, mixed layer deepening, etc...). Precisely rough weather conditions did not allow to recover the glider in the scheduled time at the east of Menorca, and the glider was the directed towards the south-eastern coast of Mallorca where it was recovered under safer sea state.
All data have been downloaded from the glider and are currently available for JERICO TNA partners. Dr Ribotti, PI of this experiment, and Dr Olita, both from CNR (Oristano), visited last week IMEDEA and SOCIB facilities and were introduced to the glider's technology, operation and data management. The second part of this JERICO TNA Agreement is planned for autumn-winter 2013 and will consist of a similar transect.
SOCIB's Seagliders have performed two long missions (longer than a month) since their purchase in 2011. Seaglider data are now being integrated into SOCIB's glider data processing chain. NetCDFs files are available in Real Time and Delay Mode in the SOCIB Thredds Repository and EGO glider website, by this allowing users easy access to glider data in a standard format and in three levels of processing (L0, L1 and L2) for both Slocum and Seaglider platforms without distinction.
Project Co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)