SHOM cruise aboard the Pourquoi Pas?

<p>Understanding the ecosystems of hydrothermal sites and their surrounding areas in the Atlantic: mapping and characterization of the geological and geochemical context, characterization of habitats, inventory of biodiversity in hydrothermal ecosystems and surrounding areas and geobiological connectivity and interaction.</p>

<p>The MEDITGIB 2014 campaign is a physical oceanography campaign; it aims to study the Mediterranean outflow and its future in the Gulf of Cadiz. The aim is to qualify the Mediterranean waters at the entrance to the Strait upstream and monitor their transformation through the Strait to identify mixing zones along the way. The monitoring extends downstream into the Gulf of Cadiz where the Mediterranean outflow enters at the exit of the Strait: its extension and distribution in the Gulf are part of the problem of the campaign.&nbsp; In the direction entering the Mediterranean Sea, the aim is to follow the Atlantic surface waters and their future towards the Mediterranean Sea;</p> <p>One of the rapid dynamic oceanographic processes that potentially has a role in the Strait area as well as to the east is the internal waves; MeditGib is particularly interested in the generation zones identified in the Camarinal threshold area and the eastward propagation of the generated waves. To this end, several instrumental devices are moored (current meter, thermistor chain) throughout the campaign.</p>

SHOM cruise .

Transit.

SHOM cruise aboard the Pourquoi Pas?

SHOM oceanographic cruise

Transit.

Hydrography and physical oceanography cruise for the French Navy's hydrographic and oceanographic service (SHOM).

<p style="text-align:justify">The main scientific objectives of the cruises are threefold:</p> <ul> <li style="text-align: justify;">to asses the large scale circulation in the Western Basin, evaluating the water masses and the fluxes at different key point in the basin (The North Current, The East and West Corsica currents, the Balearic front, Algerian Basin). The final goal was numerical modelling assessment.</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">to identify and follow peculiar mesoscale structures such as surface eddies, modal weddies, submesoscale coherent vortices (SCV) meanders or filaments and explore the signature on the sea surface height (altimetry) and the acoustic impact (sound propagation).</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">to observe and interpret the submesoscale dynamics such ageostrophic stirring, symmetric instabilities, mixed layer instabilities, subduction and convection.</li> </ul> <p style="text-align:justify">The <strong>Protevs2015_leg1&nbsp; </strong>campaign took place from the 8th to 28th of January 2015 on board of the RV <em>Pourquoi Pas?</em> in the north western mediterranean basin. It is focused on physical aspects (hydrology and dynamics). The main objective was the dynamics of the North current from its roots in the Ligurian Sea downstream to the Gulf of Lion. The surveys try to catch not only the meso-scale features but also the submesoscale associated to the the northern current or at least in its vicinity.</p> <p style="text-align:justify">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align:justify">&nbsp;</p>