IMOS - Deep Water Moorings - Southern Ocean Time Series (SOTS) Sub-Facility

Researchers: Bray, Stephen (Associated with, Principal investigator) ,  Bray, Stephen (Associated with, Principal investigator) ,  Shadwick, Elizabeth (Principal investigator) ,  Shadwick, Elizabeth (Associated with, Principal investigator) ,  AODN Data Manager (Distributes)
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Brief description The Southern Ocean Time Series (SOTS) sub-facility provides high temporal resolution observations in sub-Antarctic waters. Observations are broad and include measurements of physical, chemical and biogeochemical parameters from multiple deep-water moorings. The emphasis is on inter-annual variations of upper ocean properties and their influence on exchange with the deep ocean. The time-series provided permit investigation into issues of ocean physics and chemistry, climate change, carbon cycling and biogeochemical controls on marine productivity. These moorings provide cost-effective observations and overcome the infrequent availability of ships in the region. The SOTS site is located in the sub-Antarctic Zone (SAZ), southwest of Tasmania, near 47S, 142E. SOTS observations are made from 1) a deep ocean sediment trap mooring, used to collect sinking particles to quantify carbon transports. This mooring also provides current meter measurements and a deep ocean CTD to measure heat contents below the depth of ARGO profiling float measurements. 2) the Pulse biogeochemistry mooring, used to measure upper ocean carbon cycle and phytoplankton productivity processes included sensor measurements of dissolved gases (O2, N2) and bio-optical properties. This mooring also collects water samples for measures of dissolved carbon and nutrients, and phytoplankton microscopic identification. Instrumentation was moved to the FluxPulse mooring in 2016, and then to the SOFS mooring (below). 3) additional biogeochemical sensors (CO2, O2, bio-optical, and bio-acoustic devices) mounted on the nearby Southern Ocean Flux Station air-sea flux mooring (and managed by the Air-Sea Flux Stations sub-facility). Instrumentation was briefly moved to the FluxPulse mooring in 2016.

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Australia’s Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) is enabled by the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS). It is operated by a consortium of institutions as an unincorporated joint venture, with the University of Tasmania as Lead Agent.

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CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere

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Bureau of Meteorology (BOM)

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University of Tasmania (UTAS)

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Marine National Facility

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Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

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