The Agulhas System Climate Array is a collaboration between South African, Dutch, and US scientists to implement sustained observations of the Agulhas Current, as part of the Global Ocean Observing System. ASCA measures temperature, conductivity, and velocity of the Agulhas Current. The two year time series will allow us to calculate the heat that is being transported by the current, and how this varies in time. By combining our mooring data with Argo and satellite data, we will be able to estimate the heat transport across the entire Indian Ocean. This will further our understanding of how the Agulhas Current and the South Indian Ocean impact climate.
South African, Dutch, and US scientists aboard the RS Algoa after deploying the ASCA mooring array.
There are relatively few observations of the South Indian Ocean, making it difficult to study how the Agulhas Current impacts climate. We expect that the Agulhas will impact sea surface temperatures. In turn, sea surface temperature variability has been shown to impact East African rainfall, tropical cyclone activity, and sea level rise.
The ASCA mooring array as deployed in April, 2016.
Having fun while taking CTD water samples
Waiting for the next instrument to come in during mooring deployment
Deploying an Argo float to continue measuring temperature and conductivity in the region
