Abstract:

GoMix is a three-year project with the goal of understanding the mechanisms, spatial inhomogeneity and temporal intermittency of boundary mixing along the Northern Deepwater Gulf. There are several platforms. This data set concerns measurements obtained with an untethered free-fall instrument referred to as the High Resolution Profiler 3 (HRP3). The HRP3 was designed and built at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). The intent is for the instrument to obtain vertical profiles of three-dimensional absolute velocity, CTD, and microstructure over the entire water column. The R/V Point Sur PS18_28 cruise represents the instrument's third shipboard use.

Suggested Citation:

Polzin, Toole. 2021. GoMix High Resolution Profiler 3 (HRP3) data collected aboard the R/V Point Sur cruise PS18_28 in the northern Gulf of Mexico from 2018-06-22 to 2018-06-28. Distributed by: GRIIDC, Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/XH54KN8H

Purpose:

To quantify turbulence, turbulent mixing, and the mechanisms that cause them in the northern Gulf of Mexico.

Data Parameters and Units:

The finescale data have the parameters circ_ave (line integral of sensed velocity around the transducers, [cm^2/s]); compass_correction_indices (scan numbers for a sensor correction scheme, [n/a]); ddir_ave (1/2 dbar averaged time rate of change of instrument heading, [radians]); dir_ave (1/2 dbar averaged instrument heading, [radians]); dpdtave (time rate of pressure estimated from 1/2 dbar pressure data, [dbar/sec]); east_ave (1/2 dbar averaged E/W velocity, [m/s]); mavs_bias_indices (scan numbers for a sensor correction scheme, [n/a]); mvel (1/2 dbar averaged velocity on mavs_bias_indices, [m/s]); north_ave (1/2 dbar averaged N/S velocity, [m/s]); pave (1/2 dbar bin averaged pressure, [dbar]); pbias2 (pressure bias, [dbar]); pgrid (1/2 dbar grid, [dbar]); s_ave (1/2 dbar averaged absolute salinity, [g/kg]); tstart (time at start of 1/2 dbar bin, [sec]); tstop (time at end of 1/2 dbar bin, [sec]); tave (1/2 dbar averaged temperature, [C]); wrel_ave (1/2 dbar averaged vertical velocity relative to profiler, [m/s]). The microstructure data have the parameters Csb (1/2 dbar bin averaged conductivity, [mS/cm]); Day [day of month]; Month [month of year]; Ssb (1/2 dbar bin averaged salinity, [PSU]); Tsb (1/2 dbar averaged temperature, [C]); Year [2018]; bin_P (1/2 dbar grid [dbar]); chi1 (1/2 dbar averaged rate of dissipation of thermal variance, sensor 1, [C^2/s]); chi2 (1/2 dbar averaged rate of dissipation of thermal variance, sensor 2, [C^2/s]); chic (1/2 dbar averaged rate of dissipation of thermal variance, sensor mC, [C^2/s]); eps1 (1/2 dbar averaged rate of dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy, sensor 1, [W/kg]); eps2 (1/2 dbar averaged rate of dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy, sensor 2, [W/kg]); nscan (fast scan linking P_fast to bin_P, [enum]).

Methods:

Please see the included cruise report, Section IIX, for a detailed description of the instrument and data processing.

Instruments:

High Resolution Profiler (HRP3), see cruise report, an updated version of HRP#1 described in Schmitt et al. (1988).

Error Analysis:

The proof is in the pudding. 'Best practices' have not been articulated for these types of data.

Provenance and Historical References:

Schmit, R. W., Toole, J. M., Koehler, R. L., Mellinger, E. C., & Doherty, K. W. (1988). The Development of a Fine- and Microstructure Profiler. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 5(4), 484–500. doi:10.1175/1520-0426(1988)005<0484:tdoafa>2.0.co;2

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