Outline of Main Research Theme for
Research Vessel “MIRAI” during fiscal year 2009
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| 1. Cruise Code : |
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2. Main research theme: |
| Studies on transports of heat and materials and their variability by the general circulation of the ocean. |
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3. Objectives: |
| It is well known that climate changes of a timescale more than a decade are largely influenced by changes of oceanic conditions. Among oceanic changes, we focus on transport and accumulation of anthropogenic CO2 and heat in the ocean, both of which are important for global warming. Accordingly we are aimed at clarifying temporal changes of the transport and accumulation quantitatively. In doing so, we pay a special attention to water masses of the Southern Ocean’s origin, which play an important role in transporting anthropogenic CO2 and heat into the ocean’s interior. This study is conducted under the frameworks of International Repeat Hydrography/Carbon and International Ocean Carbon Coordination. |
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4. Outline of observation: |
Measurements of temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, current from the sea surface to the bottom using a CTD/O2/LADCP system
Water sampling at max. 36 layers in a water column with Niskin bottles of a volume of 12L, and shipboard analyses of salinity, dissolved oxygen, CO2-system properties, CFCs, etc.
Underway measurements such as ADCP, bathymetry, meteorological elements, etc.
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5.Main research area: |
Pacific Ocean along the observation line at latitude17°S.
Western Pacific area ranging from 125°E to 160°E and from 25°N to 35°N.
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6.Cruise period: |
| From April 10, 2009 to July 3, 2009 (85 days) |
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7.Ports of call (tentative): |
Port of departure:
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Valparaiso (Chile) |
| Port of call : |
Papeete (Tahiti), Brisbane (Australia) |
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8.Proponent of main research theme: |
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Dr. Akihiko Murata (Chemical oceanography)
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9. Contact person for questionnaire on this cruise: |
Dr. Akihiko Murata
Ocean General Circulation Observational Research Program
Institute of Observational Research for Global Change (IORGC)
Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)
2-15, Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka 237-0061, Japan
Phone : +81-46-867-9503 FAX : +81-46-867-9455 E-mail :  |
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10. Remarks
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Since we will conduct our cruise according to the specification of the one-time hydrography of World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE), which was an international research program in the 1990s, many researchers and technicians from JAMSTEC will be on board the ship. In addition, it is likely that a representative and participants from coastal states will be on board the ship as the right of coastal states regarding an exclusive economic zone (EEZ). From this reason, it is difficult to conduct observations, which are required to have much ship time and many boarding participants. As a general rule, in the period from Brisbane, Australia to Japan, it is scheduled to have underway observations only.
Because the cruise is scheduled to start from early April of year 2009, there is no enough time to survey feasibility of observations, which are planned within an EEZ of a foreign state and are not assumed in the main theme. Therefore investigations in the EEZs of states not assumed in the main theme, and observations such as sampling of living matters, sediments, etc. possibly regarded as a resource survey by coastal states are extremely difficult to be performed.
Note that early preparation is necessary in the case of rigging in Japan, because expected time of sailing is set in mid-January of year 2009.
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