COSEM - COntaminant Spread in the Eastern Mediterranean

In situ measurements

In situ data was collected in two types of cruises:

A high resolution survey, aimed at detailed characterization of a coast-open-sea intrusion event. The cruise was conducted aboard the R/V Shikmona on the 22-24 of August, 2011, when a mesoscale patch was distinctly evident in satellite images of sea surface chlorophyll (Fig. 1a) and sea surfae temperature (Fig. 1b). Analysis of the surface velocity field (Fig. 1c) revealed that the patch is associated with horizontal transport of coastal waters. The horizontal currents also formed transport barriers that separated the patch from the the waters surounding it (Fig. 1d)

We sampled 19 stations that represent the conditions in and out of the patch (Fig 2). In each station continuous profiles of pressure, temperature salinity, dissolved oxygen, and fluorescence were measured using the Sea-Bird SBE 911 plus CTD system, interfaced to a SBE Carousel equipped with twelve, eight liters Niskin bottles. In addition, at 13 stations, water samples for the determination of nutrients, Chl and picophytoplankton were collected using Niskin bottles at four sampling depths: two at the upper mixed layer (surface and base of the mixed layer), one at the minimum salinity layer (MinSal), and one at the deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM). In addition, continuous measurements of temperature, salinity and Chl-fluorescence of surface waters were performed along the cruise track using an additional CTD and a flow through system.For detailed description of the observations and results please see Efrati et al., 2013 avialable here

Two cruises, aimed at obtaining ground truth data for further validation of SELIPS performance. The cruises were carried along the Israeli coastline, on August 2010 and on June 2011. The cruises followed a similar plan. During the first cruise (11-13 August 2010) currents were measured by ADCP along 10 sections and temperature and salinity profiles were sampled at 26 stations along 6 of the sections. During the second cruise (21-22 June 2011) currents were measured by ADCP along 9 sections and temperature, salinity, oxygen, chlorophyll, and turbidity profiles were sampled at 27 stations along 6 of the sections.