Saildrone as a research and operational platform for the Eastern Tropical Pacific

PI: Cronin, Meghan (NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory)
Co-PI(s): Zhang, Dongxiao (NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory and University of Washington) : Wills, Samantha (NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory and University of Washington) : Meinig, Christian (NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory) : Sutton, Adrienne (NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory) : Burger, Eugene (NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory) : Mehra, Avichal (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Prediction) : Grissom, Karen (NOAA National Data Buoy Center) : Serra, Yolande (University of Washington) : Lindstrom, Eric (Saildrone Inc.) : Riihimaki, Laura (NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory) : Cavazos Perez, Maria Tereza (Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education at Ensenada) : Gomez-Valdes, Jose (Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education at Ensenada) : Farfán-Molina, Luis (Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education at Ensenada) : Cravatte, Sophie (French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development)
Start Year: 2020 | Duration: 3 years
Partners: NOAA, University of Washington, Saildrone Inc., Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education at Ensenada (Mexico), French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development

Project Abstract:

This project investigates the utility of Saildrone as a research and operational platform for the Eastern Tropical Pacific, a key region within NOAA’s ocean observing system. In particular, Saildrone will be used to measure convective development in the “East Pacific hurricane genesis region”, between 10° N and 15° N, along 110° W; a region that has been identified by the Tropical Pacific Observing System 2020 Project as needing sustained observations. Saildrone will also measure ocean-atmosphere interactions in the southerly wind regime that is monitored by the NOAA National Data Buoy Center 110° W Tropical Atmosphere Ocean moorings at 7 locations between 8° N and 8° S. As part of this project, and with additional funding from NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations, two missions will take place, one in boreal fall-winter 2021 and one in summer 2022, each with two drones. One drone in 2021 and both drones in 2022 will be enhanced with a biogeochemical suite of sensors, and all drones will have additional thermistors to monitor the near-surface (above 2 m) temperature profile. El Niño Southern Oscillation manifests in the eastern equatorial Pacific, with a suppressed (El Niño) or strengthened (La Niña) equatorial cold tongue. During the 2021 mission, La Niña conditions were observed, with a pronounced sea surface temperature front on the northern edge of the equatorial cold tongue. The Saildrone transect data will be used to determine the importance of resolving “abrupt fronts” in air-sea interactions, which are uniquely observed by Saildrone. Understanding the performance of the Saildrone in the equatorial cold tongue region, with its strong currents and weak winds, is needed to better understand options for maintaining an operational observing system in this region. Finally, the 2021 Tropical Pacific Observing System’s Saildrone mission also observed the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano shock wave.