18: The Western Flyer
- Page ID
- 164677
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Western Flyer Ocean Data Lab
On our Western Flyer trip, one of the things we got to do was investigate the water chemistry and properties. We did this with two devices, a CTD (Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth) sensor and the flow-through water system down in the lab that measures the seawater flowing into and out of the boat as we sail. The CTD measures the water from the surface to the bottom in one spot as we drop it down, while the flow-through system shows what the water is like at the surface all along the path the boat sails.
CTD on deck before deployment. CTD going over the side of the boat. Staff showing us the flow-through water system in the lab. All photos by Kevin Raskoff.
The results of both of these sensors were really interesting and can tell us a lot about what is going on in the ocean and its biology. The graph below shows the CTD data. It is a complicated graph but not scary once you understand it. The Y-axis, on the left side, is depth, from the surface (0) down to the bottom (50 meters). The graph has four different things shown on top of each other: fluorescence (green), salinity (orange), temperature (red), and Oxygen (blue). Notice how things change as we drop from the surface down to the bottom. Fluorescence is a measure of chlorophyll, so it is a measure of the amount of phytoplankton in the water.
CTD Data
Flow-Through Data
The flow-through data is below. It is running in time from left to right. On the far left is when we were still on the dock, and then it shows us going out to sea and returning as we move to the right. The colors of the data are different than the CTD graph: salinity (red), oxygen (black), temperature (blue), and fluorescence (green). Note how the data changes as we leave the dock (on the left side), start moving out to sea (middle), and then turn around and head back (far right). Look at the green lines and see how we hit a bunch of phytoplankton on the way out and then hit it again on the way back in. Pretty cool!
Flow-Through Seawater Data
Assignment:
- You will analyze both the CTD and Flow-Through graphs and try to find a few interesting features of the slice of the ocean they each sampled.
- On each, look for data that are connected to each other in some way, either they both go up or down at the same time, or they are opposite (inverse) of each other.
- Why do you think they are showing that pattern? What is the connection between these data?
- Looking at the fluorescence data on both the CTD and Flow-Through graphs, what interesting things do you notice about where the phytoplankton are found? Is it found randomly from the surface down to the bottom (CTD), or consistently along the path the boat sailed (Flow-through)? Why do you think the phytoplankton was found where it was?
- What is one question that the data makes you wonder about and how could we answer it if we had another day on the boat?
Put your answers in a document and turn it in on Canvas.