RRS James Clark Ross Cruise 163, 07 Dec-15 Dec 2006. Drake Passage Repeat Hydrography: WOCE Southern Repeat Section 1b - Burdwood Bank to Elephant Island

This report describes the twelfth repeat hydrography section across Drake Passage, first established during the World Ocean Circulation Experiment. For this work NOC made use of the regular BAS supply trip to Rothera from the Falklands using the RRS James Clark Ross. Thirty CTD/LADCP stations were carried out across the 753 km section from Burdwood Bank to Elephant Island, plus one test station in the deep waters to the north of Burdwood Bank. Maximum station spacing on the section was 33 km, with stations closer together on the continental shelves. Water samples were drawn for salinity analysis, for subsequent CTD conductivity calibration. Samples were also drawn for analysis of oxygen isotope fraction δ18O, for later analysis back at NOC. The CTD was a SeaBird 911plus with dual temperature and conductivity sensors. There were two LADCP instruments, but no useful data were collected with them. Various underway measurements were also collected, including navigation, vessel-mounted ADCP, sea surface temperature and salinity, water depth and meteorological parameters. Water samples were also collected for subsequent analysis for chlorophyll, particulate carbon and biogenic silica.