| Summary: | The goal of this research is to measure explicitly the horizontal and vertical motion in the deep Canada Basin over one year. The researchers will add instruments to the deep portion of two moorings that are scheduled to be deployed in the Canada Basin for one International Polar Year (IPY) (2007-2008). The additional instruments will record velocity, pressure, temperature, and salinity below 2200 m. These would be the first ever long time-series measurements in the deep Arctic Ocean's Canada Basin, and would provide important insight into the most unexplored regions of the Arctic Ocean. The research of deep observations of the Canada Basin, which has the largest volume of all the Arctic basins and contains the oldest deep water, will be a vital component of the snapshot in time of the state of the Arctic Ocean between 2007 and 2009. The study will provide a foundation for a better assessment of Arctic Climate variability through knowledge of the deepest waters which serve as a marker for climatic transitions. The role of mixing, intrusions, and internal waves in the deep Canada Basin, which the proposed measurements aim to clarify, is crucial to comprehend the consequences of a shifting climate. In addition to the standard dissemination of results through journal articles, conference presentations, public lectures and web updates, special efforts will be made for the IPY to engage the interest and understanding of schoolchildren and the community in the importance of Arctic research. Both PIs will be involved in outreach activities in collaboration with Linder (0632219). Data will be made available through the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) promptly after mooring recovery in 2008.
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