TIC-MOC Cruise, RV Hespérides

TIC-MOC Cruise (29HE20150305) carried out on the Research Vessel Hespérides in 2015

TIC-MOC Tipping Corners in the Meridional Overturning Circulation. The principal objective of the cruise is to characterize the dynamics of the encountering of the Brazil and Malvinas Currents in the Brazil-Malvinas Confluence region. Specific objectives include the characterization of the water masses arriving to the confluence region, the description of the transformations experienced by these water masses , the definition of the frontal systems, the computation of water and property balances, and a description of the principal biogeochemical processes. During the TIC-MOC cruise we will make several stops at specific points (hydrographic stations) to collect data that will allow us to characterize this frontal system. In the hydrographic stations, measurements of physicochemical parameters (speed, temperature, salinity, and turbidity, all depending on the pressure) and biogeochemical (fluorescence, nutrients and dissolved oxygen) will be made. To do this, a rosette will be lowered to the bottom for taking samples of water at 24 depths, together with a CTD (measurements with high vertical resolution of salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, fluorescence and turbidity) and LADCP (measurements of the velocity of the Water). The samples of water that we will collect will be used for the determination of inorganic nutrients, microbial respiration, carbon and particulate and dissolved organic nitrogen, particulate and total organic phosphorus