The ocean general circulation of the earth which is elucidated by borrowing the hand of a cat "head of seal"

I want to borrow the hands of a catIn the marine survey around the Antarctic Ocean, we investigated places where people 's power does not reach by "borrowing the head of a seal" and the detailed appearance of the earth' s ocean Has been elucidated.

Seals lend scientists a helping flipper in the Southern Ocean | Ars Technica
http://arstechnica.com/science/2013/12/seals-lend-scientists-a-helping-flipper-in-the-southern-ocean/

As one of the equipment used in the ocean survey,CTDThere is what is called. This device measures the electrical conductivity, water temperature, and depth of the sea water, calculates the salt concentration of the sea water from the measured value, transmits it to the survey vessel and accumulates the data However, in reality it is very expensive to require specialized investigators, equipment and ships.

ByOcean Networks Canada

A new device to lower this cost was developed by researchers conducting surveys in the Antarctic Ocean near Antarctica. That device lives in the sea areasealIt is attached to the top of the head, and it is getting data which is difficult to obtain normally normally.


As an attempt similar to this,Argo planningThere is what is called. The Argo plan is a large-scale international project aimed at capturing global oceanic changes in real time, and observation instruments called "Argo float" automatically ups and downs between the water depth of 2000 m and the sea level, Salinity etc. are measured, and data is collected through satellite.

ByFruchtzwerg's world

However, in the Antarctic waters, the icebergs floating on the sea surface became obstacles, and the system did not work well. In order to solve the problem, what was invented was "to have the seal help the investigation."

Originally the origin was a plan by researchers who were investigating the ecology of seals, but the project was proceeded with the team of oceanographers who heard about that, riding it. In the report just released, the survey results based on the data obtained from "cooperation" of 349 seals from 2004 to 2010 have been announced.

A seal may dive from a depth of 500 meters to a maximum of 2000 meters, during which the fist-size CTD device glued to the head gathers data and transmits data when it next appears on the water surface It is structured. The life of the device is five months when the battery runs out, and it has come to fall out with the hair of the seal which changes once a year.


As the researchers continued to improve to improve the accuracy of the survey, the data obtained reached the level equivalent to the Argo plan. Data show that seawater circulates on a global scale "Ocean general circulationIt is used to clarify the mechanism of " Sea water will sink to the bottom of the ocean because the specific gravity will be increased by being cooled by the ice floating around the Antarctic Ocean, and the salt concentration will also rise due to the freezing of the seawater. It is becoming clear that this downward flow is the driving force and the circulation system of the entire ocean is being formed.

Discover unknown Antarctica bottom water - the heaviest water driving the ocean general circulation -
http://www.nipr.ac.jp/info/notice/20130304.html


"People who are standing can use parents"As you might say, when you are in a hurry or when you need it you can say that asking for a convenient opponent is a shortcut for solution. However, I just hope that the seal does not feel annoying.