Subject: RUSALCA mooring recoveries From: Jonathan Whitefield Date: 8/29/2012 12:54 PM To: Rebecca Woodgate , Tom Weingartner CC: Aleksey Ostrovskiy , Vladimir Bakhmutov , Kathy Crane Hi Tom and Rebecca You'll be pleased to know that the mooring recoveries went well. We had fairly bad weather in the Strait, with 6-8ft seas during the first recovery! However, we managed to recover everything successfully in a ~12 hour period. I took notes while downloading data with Vladimir, and have included them below. I have also attached the agreement that was signed as we handed the data over to Vladimir for it to be inspected. The data should be returned to us within a couple of months. A1-3: First attempts to communicate with the release were successful, although the deck unit only transmitted intermittently. The release code was sent and confirmed several times, but the mooring did not surface. Dragged for the mooring and managed to shake it free. Data downloaded from RCM9 from 20100731 2200 until 20111011 1454 (15.5 months worth). SBE37 was still logging, and a STOP command had to be sent. Data downloaded from SBE37 from 20100803 1200 until 20120824 2145 (over 2 years!). The SBE37 had a large amount of growth all over the instrument, but I did not really get a good look at the quality of the data or the conductivity cell. A1-1: Deck box refused to turn on and, on inspection by Marshall, started smoking! Recovery by trawling at approximate position. Loss of tension during recovery thought to have been mooring slipping off the line, but 37" float seen on surface. Broke the recovery pole, but still able to grapple it. Chain to weight from release very corroded, and that was what broke during trawling, so all instruments and releases on board. No ISCAT (obviously), but data downloaded from 20100804 0004 until 20111226 1904 (16.75 months - i.e. survived winter of 2010). ADCP had low battery, and several files were created at the end of battery life. Data available from ADCP from 20100801 0300 until 20120718, with four drop outs of around 1 hour, with the exception of one one 20120515 1400 that did not restart until 20120715 1943. SBE37 was still logging, and a STOP command had to be sent. Data downloaded from SBE37 available from 20100803 1200 until 20120825 0230 (over 2 years!). Again, the SBE37 had a large amount of growth all over the instrument, but I did not really get a good look at the quality of the data or the conductivity cell. A1-2: Deck box now fixed (10kHz relay removed) so used to communicate with releases. Command sent, and mooring releaseed no problems. Deck crew able to find another pole, and mooring recovered easily. Data available from RCM9 from 20100731 2200 until 20111125 1105 (15.75 months), but DSU not at zero once downloaded. Re-downloaded data to confirm that all data was in fact downloaded. At beginning of second download, display showed 5:6445 (the : means +100000 words). On completion of download, display showed approximately 7:6000, i.e. GREATER than the start. In addition, while the DSU remained hooked up to the reader after download, the word display kept decreasing as if data was being read, but the program was idle and no data was being downloaded. On disconnect, the display returned to the original value of 5:6445. The second file of downloaded data was identical to the first. I don't know whether this behaviour is consistent for use of a 2990e (extended DSU) as I've only used the standard capacity ones. The SBE16+ showed low battery on recovery, so external power used to download data. Data available from SBE16+ from 20100803 1600 until 20110703 0000 (only 11 months of data). SBE26+ bottom pressure gauge also showing low battery, and external power was used. Data downloaded very quickly, and when the *.hex file was run through the ConvertHex program in SeaSoftWaves, it only returned data from 20100801 0030 until 20100920 1800 (1.5 months)... Reason for this is unknown. ISUS data retrieved by Mike. Data available from 20100803 until 20120825 (2 years of data, but quality not checked). The two PCMCIA cards from the ADCP, the CF cards from the ISUS and the data logger, and the two DSUs were given to Vladimir and will be returned to us. One DSU is empty, but everything else has the original data left on them. Data from the other instruments (i.e the SBE equipment) had the memory erased on the ship. Hope these notes are of some help to you! -- Jonathan Whitefield, M.Sc. Ph.D. Student, Physical Oceanography 110 O'Neill Building, P.O. Box 757220 University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK 99775-7220 Phone: (907) 474-5184 Fax: (907) 474-5863