CRUISE
SUMMARY
This cruise was a part of
the JGOFS - INDIA programme. The objective of this cruise was to study
the physical and bio-geochemical processes in the Arabian Sea along 64oE
between 13 and 21oN during southwest monsoon. The ship sailed
from Mormugao harbour on 2nd August 1996 on a trial for testing the CTD
cable and returned on the 3 August. The main cruise started on 3rd August
and at the end of the cruise returned to the same harbour on 22nd August.
During the cruise, 9 CTD stations including the 5 JGOFS stations were occupied along 64oE. Five CTD profiles at each JGOFS station and 19 XBT profiles were taken all along the cruise track. Surface meteorological parameters were measured at all the stations. Drifting METOCEAN data buoy was deployed on 14th August at 18o55 and 64oE.
The underway measurement of carbon dioxide confirm the findings that this gas is ejected into the atmosphere from the Arabian Sea. Chlorophyll distribution showed an increasing trend from 13 to 17oN and further, the values decreased. Mesozooplankton biomass was high in the thermocline layer. The axis of the Findlater Jet was observed around 17oN along 64oE. The thermohaline structure on either side of the jet was characterised by signatures of upwelling to the north and sinking to the south. The oxygen and nutrient levels were relatively lower in the north.
PARTICIPANTS
Scientific Component
M. Dileep Kumar
Chief Scientist NIO, Goa
M. Madhupratap
NIO, Goa
S.N. de Souza
NIO, Goa
S. Prasanna Kumar
NIO, Goa
V. Ramaswamy
NIO, Goa
N. Ramaiah
NIO, Goa
A.S. Muralinath
NIO, Goa
A. Almeida
NIO, Goa
V.V.S.S. Sarma
NIO, Goa
Surekha Sawant
NIO, Goa
Manguesh Gauns
NIO, Goa
Balakrishna Nair
NIO, Goa
Ganesh Chandavale
NIO, Goa
P.N. Aravindakshan
NIO, Regional Center Cochin
T.C. Gopalkrishnan
NIO, Regional Center Cochin
R. Regarajan
PRL, Ahmedabad
T.K. Sunil Kumar
PRL, Ahmedabad
S. Venkataramani
PRL, Ahmedabad
Iqbal Ahmed
PRL, Ahmedabad
Mohan Das
NORINCO, Goa
J.P. Joseph
NORINCO, Goa
Brian Telles
NORINCO, Goa