METEOR M120

Investigations during the M120 cruise are related to the EU collaborative project PREFACE (Enhancing prediction of tropical Atlantic climate and its impacts) and the BMBF Collaborative Project SACUS (Southwest African Coastal Upwelling System and Benguela Niños). The major aims of EU-PREFACE are reducing uncertainties in our knowledge of the functioning of tropical Atlantic climate, improving climate prediction and quantifying climate change impacts in the region. Related investigations during M120 focus on understanding and quantifing the physical processes controlling the mixed layer heat and freshwater balances and determining the role of local and remote forcing in setting mean SST pattern and in driving SST variability.
The main focus of the BMBF-SACUS project is the variability of the coastal upwelling off southern Africa and its response to climate change. It addresses the physical mechanisms of regional climate variability with profound impact on ocean biogeochemistry, hypoxia and marine ecosystems. Related investigations during the cruise are determining the variability of eastern boundary current transport and water masses and the propagation of coastal waves.
Apart from the scientific program, the M120 cruise includes a capacity building program for scientists and technicians from our Angolan, Namibian and Senegalese project partner institutes which is promoted by both projects.
The work programme consists of servicing of moorings, bottom shields and pressure inverted echo sounders and the deployment of 4 autonomous measurement platforms (gliders) and 8 ARGO floats. Profiles of hydrography, oxygen and velocity as well as microstructure shear and temperature will be collected along 7 sections at key locations in the Benguela upwelling region. Additionally, high-resolution hydrography and velocity data will be collected along a transatlantic section at 12°S.