R/V Thomas G. Thompson TN168-1

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The Kuroshio Extension System Study (KESS) 2-year field program began Summer 2004 with two deployment cruises. The first leg, 24-April to 1-June 2004 (38 at-sea days), departed from and returned to Yokohama, Japan on the R/V Thompson. The main objectives were:

1. deploy an array of 50 CPIES on a grid spanning from the southern recirculation region to the mixed water regime and coordinated with Jason satellite altimeter groundtracks;
2. conduct a Kuroshio meander / ring feature fine-scale synoptic survey using deep-reaching (750m) ADCP and rapid CTDs to 1200m;
3. collect 125 calibration CTD profiles at each CPIES site;
4. launch four APEX/Argo profiling floats at CPIES/CTD sites in the southern recirculation.

PDF of the Cruise Report

Science Participants