Taylor platform oil plume tracking experiment: CTD cast and undulating towed CTD data, April 20, 2017

On April 20th, 2017 (15:10 to 17:02 UTC) the RV Walton Smith performed two transects and a CTD cast near the Taylor oil plume and across the Mississippi River front. The directions and locations of the study area were carefully chosen as to avoid any accidental clogging of the different water sampling systems from the oil slick. The first transect was directed offshore to onshore on a North-West direction and the second one backtracking along the opposite direction (South-East). The vertical CTD cast to 110 meters depth was completed first. Surface temperature and salinity were measured continuously (1Hz) during the entire duration of both transects via a hull mounted flow-through system 1.5 m below the ship’s waterline using a thermosalinograph SBE 21 seacat (Seabird Electronics). Additionally, an Acrobat undulating towed vehicle (Sea-science) fitted with a SBE 49 Fast Cat CTD (Seabird Electronics) was deployed behind the ship throughout both transects. The acrobat was set to undulate from the surface to a maximum depth of approximately 48 meters at a targeted mean speed over ground (SOG) of 3 knots.