Sustained observations in Drake Passage | National Oceanography Centre

The Southern Ocean is the conduit through which heat and freshwater, as well as biogeochemical properties, are transported between the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific ocean basins.

It also plays an important role in the ventilation of ocean interiors, via the formation of water masses around Antarctica and their distribution in the meridional overturning circulation. It is thus an extremely important part of the global ocean-atmosphere-cryosphere system and is both highly sensitive to and strongly involved in climate forcing. For over 25 years, Drake Passage has been the most comprehensively observed part of the Southern Ocean.

It provides the link between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, and it constricts the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) to a narrow geographical region, making this the best place to measure the ACC’s properties. Since 1993, a sustained hydrographic measurement programme led by NERC scientists has made high-quality full-depth hydrographic measurements across Drake Passage each Antarctic summer. These continent-to-continent measurements are unique: no other ocean basin has such good resolution over such a time period.

The Southern Ocean

The Southern Ocean is unlike any other on the planet, due to its uninterrupted circumnavigation of the Antarctic continent. It is the conduit through which heat and freshwater, as well as biogeochemical properties, are transported between the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific ocean basins. It also plays an important role in the ventilation of ocean interiors, via the formation of water masses around Antarctica and their distribution in the meridional overturning circulation. It is thus an extremely important part of the global ocean-atmosphere-cryosphere system and is both highly sensitive to and strongly involved in climate forcing.

Drake Passage

Although the Southern Ocean forms a continuous band around the high Southern latitudes, it is not of uniform width. Instead it is marked by several "choke points", defined by WOCE (World Ocean Circulation Experiment). One such choke point is the focal interest of this section: Drake Passage.

Drake Passage is the narrowest stretch of water in the Southern Ocean, spanning approximately 800 km (500 miles) between the southern tip of South America and the northern tip of the West Antarctic Peninsula. A hydrographic section in Drake Passage designated as SR1 by WOCE was occupied by METEOR in 1990 and by scientists aboard the RRS James Clark Ross in 1989.

A line just east of SR1, designated SR1b, has been occupied in 22 out of 24 summers since November 1993. These repeat hydrographic measurements have been made as part of successive NERC core and strategic research programmes, most recently Oceans 2025 Theme 10 and, from 2016/2017, ORCHESTRA (Ocean Regulation of Climate by Heat and Carbon Sequestration and Transports), a coordinated campaign of Southern Ocean observations and modelling aimed at quantifying the role of the Southern Ocean in global energy and carbon bugets and thus better understanding and predicting its part in the global climate system.

Aim

To monitor changes and improve understanding of the dynamics of the Southern Ocean by continuing a long time series of repeat hydrographic measurements across the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) in Drake Passage.

Cruises and Data

Each cruise is relatively short, typically around three weeks at sea rather than the six weeks more commonly required for a major hydrographic expedition. The SR1b section has often been combined with other work in the area, as well as with logistics for research stations along the Antarctic Peninsula. Recent cruises are featured on our cruise blog.

In addition to establishing a unique time series of ocean measurements leading to interesting science results, the cruises have fostered collaboration between NERC institutes and Higher Education Institute groups, have provided many PhD students with an opportunity to experience deep-ocean physical oceanography fieldwork, and have been used to test and develop new measurement techniques.

Completed cruises

Season	Start Date*	End Date*	Cruise Code	Outputs	Baroclinic Transport (Sv)**	Transport-Weighted Potential Temperature (°C)***
1993/94	21/11/1993	26/11/1993	JR0a/JR00_1	Report \| BODC \| Hydro	134	2.22
1994/95	15/11/1994	21/11/1994	JR0b/JR00_2	Report \| BODC \| Hydro	141	2.14
1995/96	no cruise
1996/97	15/11/1996	20/11/1996	JR16	Report \| BODC \| Hydro	125	2.18
1997/98	29/12/1997	07/01/1998	JR27	Report \| BODC \| Hydro	146	2.21
1998/99	no cruise
1999/00	12/02/2000	17/02/2000	JR47	Report \| BODC	143	2.33
2000/01	22/11/2000	28/11/2000	JR55	Report \| BODC \| Hydro	142	2.22
2001/02	20/11/2001	26/11/2001	JR67	Report \| BODC \| Hydro	132	2.14
2002/03	27/12/2002	01/01/2003	JR81	Report \| BODC \| Hydro	134	2.04
2003/04	11/12/2003	15/12/2003	JR94	Report \| BODC \| Hydro	145	2.26
2004/05	02/12/2004	08/12/2004	JR115	Report \| BODC	127	2.07
2005/06	07/12/2005	12/12/2005	JR139	Report \| BODC	133	2.23
2006/07	08/12/2006	12/12/2006	JR163	Report \| BODC	127	2.20
2007/08	30/11/2007	05/12/2007	JR193	Report \| BODC	135	2.16
2008/09	13/12/2008	18/12/2008	JR194	Report \| BODC \| Hydro	131	2.29
2008/09	20/02/2009	26/02/2009	JC031	Report \| BODC \| Hydro	133	2.33
2009/10	19/11/2009	26/11/2009	JR195	Report \| BODC \| Hydro	115	2.01
2010/11	01/12/2010	17/12/2010	JR242	\| BODC	incomplete
2010/11	21/04/2011	25/04/2011	JR276	Report \| BODC	incomplete
2011/12	28/11/2011	05/12/2011	JR265	Report \| BODC \| Hydro	132	2.14
2011/12	07/03/2012	11/03/2012	JC069	Report \| BODC	incomplete
2012/13	18/03/2013	27/03/2013	JR281	Report \| BODC \| Hydro	134	2.03
2013/14	12/03/2014	02/04/2014	JR299	Report \| BODC (I), (II)	147 (discontinuous)	2.12
2014/15	13/01/2015	18/01/2015	JR306	Report \| BODC \| Hydro	159	2.20
2015/16	06/01/2016	12/01/2016	JR15003	Report \| BODC \| Hydro	121	2.05
2016/17	08/11/2016	05/12/2016	JR16002	Report \| BODC \| Hydro	130	2.28
2017/18	15/12/2017	18/12/2017	JR17001	Report \| BODC	130 (missing northern slope)	2.48
2018/19	03/11/2018	21/11/2018	JR18002	Report \| BODC	135	2.16
2019/20	03/02/2020	13/03/2020	DY113

^*start and end date of measurements
^**relative to deepest common level (reference level varies from occupation to occupation); 1 Sv = 1 million cubic metres per second
^***transport-weighted mean potential temperature seasonally adjusted to December

People

NOC people

Yvonne Firing

Brian King

Equipment

Oceanographic sampling (sensor and mooring equipment)

Ship systems

Images

Cruise JC031 section plots SR1: CFC11 (left) CFC12 (right)

Cruise JC031 section plots SR1: F113 (left) CCl4 (right)

Cruise JC031 section plots SR1: Bottle Oxygen (left) Silicate (right)

Cruise JC031 section plots SR1: Total Nitrate (left) Phospate (right)

Cruise JC031 section plots SR1: Potential Temperature (left) Salinity (right)

Cruise JC031 section plots SR1: CTD Oxygen (left) Fluoresence (right)

Cruise JC031 section plots SR1B: CFC11 (left) CFC12 (right)

Cruise JC031 section plots SR1B: F113 (left) CCl4 (right)

Cruise JC031 section plots SR1B: Bottle Oxygen (left) Silicate (right)

Cruise JC031 section plots SR1B: Total Nitrate (left) Phospate (right)

Cruise JC031 section plots SR1B: Potential Temperature (left) Salinity (right)

Cruise JC031 section plots SR1B: CTD Oxygen (left) Fluoresence (right)

Cruise JC032 section plots; Brazil Current Section 1: CFC11 (left) CFC12 (right)

Cruise JC032 section plots; Brazil Current Section 1: F113 (left) CCl4 (right)

Cruise JC032 section plots; Brazil Current Section 1: SF6

Cruise JC032 section plots; Brazil Current Section 1: Bottle Oxygen (left) Silicate (right)

Cruise JC032 section plots; Brazil Current Section 1: Total Nitrate (left) Phospate (right)

Cruise JC032 section plots; Brazil Current Section 1: Potential Temperature (left) Salinity (right)

Cruise JC032 section plots; Brazil Current Section 1: CTD Oxygen (left) Fluoresence (right)

Cruise JC032 section plots; Brazil Current Section 1: CO2

Cruise JC032 section plots; Brazil Current Section 2: CFC11 (left) CFC12 (right)

Cruise JC032 section plots; Brazil Current Section 2: F113 (left) CCl4 (right)

Cruise JC032 section plots; Brazil Current Section 2: SF6

Cruise JC032 section plots; Brazil Current Section 2: Bottle Oxygen (left) Silicate (right)

Cruise JC032 section plots; Brazil Current Section 2: Total Nitrate (left) Phospate (right)

Cruise JC032 section plots; Brazil Current Section 2: Potential Temperature (left) Salinity (right)

Cruise JC032 section plots; Brazil Current Section 2: CTD Oxygen (left) Fluoresence (right)

Cruise JC032 section plots; Brazil Current Section 2: CO2

Cruise JC032 section plots; Brazil Current Section 3: CFC11 (left) CFC12 (right)

Cruise JC032 section plots; Brazil Current Section 3: F113 (left) CCl4 (right)

Cruise JC032 section plots; Brazil Current Section 3: SF6

Cruise JC032 section plots; Brazil Current Section 3: Bottle Oxygen (left) Silicate (right)

Cruise JC032 section plots; Brazil Current Section 3: Total Nitrate (left) Phospate (right)

Cruise JC032 section plots; Brazil Current Section 3: Potential Temperature (left) Salinity (right)

Cruise JC032 section plots; Brazil Current Section 3: CTD Oxygen (left) Fluoresence (right)

Cruise JC032 section plots; Brazil Current Section 3: CO2

Cruise JC032 section plots; South Atlantic Section: CFC11 (left) CFC12 (right)

Cruise JC032 section plots; South Atlantic Section: F113 (left) CCl4 (right)

Cruise JC032 section plots; South Atlantic Section: SF6

Cruise JC032 section plots; South Atlantic Section: Bottle Oxygen (left) Silicate (right)

Cruise JC032 section plots; South Atlantic Section: Total Nitrate (left) Phospate (right)

Cruise JC032 section plots; South Atlantic Section: Potential Temperature (left) Salinity (right)

Cruise JC032 section plots; South Atlantic Section: CTD Oxygen (left) Fluoresence (right)

Cruise JC032 section plots; South Atlantic Section: CO2

Publications

Publications from SR1b include peer-reviewed articles and reviews, masters and doctoral theses, cruise reports, and other articles and reports. If you have used SR1b data and your publication is not listed here, please contact us.

Journal Research Articles

Abrahamsen, E. P., Meijers, A. J. S., Polzin, K., Naveira Garabato, A. C., King, B. A., Firing, Y. L., Sallée, J.-B., Sheen, K., Gordon, A., Huber, B., Meredith, M., (2019) Stabilisation of dense Antarctic water supply to the Atlantic Ocean overturning circulation, Nat. Clim. Chang., doi: 10.1038/s41558-019-0561-2.

Firing, Y. L., E. L. McDonagh, B. A. King, and D. G. Desbruyères, (2017) Deep temperature variability in Drake Passage, J. Geophys. Res., 122 (1), 713-725, doi: 10.1002/2016jc012452.

Meijers, A. J. S., M. P. Meredith, E. P. Abrahamsen, M. A. Morales Maqueda, D. Jones, and A. C. Naveira Garabato, (2016) Wind-driven export of Weddell Sea slope water, J. Geophys. Res., 121 (10), 7530-7546, doi:10.1002/2016jc011757.

Naveira Garabato, A. C., K. L. Polzin, R. Ferrari, J. D. Zika, and A. Forryan, (2016) A microscale view of mixing and overturning across the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, J. Phys. Oceanogr., 46, 233-254, doi:10.1175/jpo-d-15-0025.1.

Talley, L., et al., (2016) Changes in ocean heat, carbon content, and ventilation: a review of the first decade of GO-SHIP global repeat hydrography, Ann. Rev. Mar. Sci., 8, 185–215, doi:10.1146/annurev-marine-052915-100829.

Chidichimo, M. P., K. A. Donohue, D. R. Watts, and K. L. Tracey, (2014) Baroclinic transport time series of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current measured in Drake Passage, J. Phys. Oceanogr., 44, 1829-1853, doi:10.1175/jpo-d-13-071.1.

Evans, D. G., J. D. Zika, A. C. N. Garabato, and A. J. G. Nurser, (2014) The imprint of Southern Ocean overturning on seasonal water mass variability in Drake Passage, J. Geophys. Res., 119, 7987–8010, doi:10.1002/2014jc010097.

Meredith, M. P., L. Jullion, P. J. Brown, A. C. Naveira Garabato, and M. P. Couldrey, (2014) Dense waters of the Weddell and Scotia Seas: recent changes in properties and circulation, Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A, 372, doi:10.1098/rsta.2013.0041.

Sheen, K. L., A. C. Naveira Garabato, J. A. Brearley, M. P. Meredith, K. L. Polzin, D. A. Smeed, A. Forryan, B. A. King, J.-B. Sallée, L. St. Laurent, A. M. Thurnherr, J. M. Toole, S. N. Waterman, and A. J. Watson, (2014) Eddy-induced variability in Southern Ocean abyssal mixing on climatic timescales, Nat. Geosci., 7, 577–582, doi:10.1038/ngeo2200.

Close, S. E., A. C. Naveira Garabato, E. L. McDonagh, B. A. King, M. Biuw, and L. Boehme, (2013) Control of mode and intermediate water mass properties in Drake Passage by the Amundsen Sea Low, J. Clim., 26 , 5102–5123, doi:10.1175/jcli-d-12-00346.1.

Jullion, L., A. C. Naveira Garabato, M. P. Meredith, P. R. Holland, P. Courtois, and B. A. King, (2013) Decadal freshening of the Antarctic Bottom Water exported from the Weddell Sea, J. Clim., 26 , 8111–8125, doi:10.1175/jcli-d-12-00765.1.

Purkey, S. G., and G. C. Johnson, (2013) Antarctic Bottom Water warming and freshening: contributions to sea level rise, ocean freshwater budgets, and global heat gain, J. Clim., 25, 6105–6122, doi:10.1175/jcli-d-12-00834.1.

Close, S. E., and A. C. Naveira Garabato, (2012) Baroclinic adjustment in Drake Passage driven by tropical Pacific forcing, Geophys. Res. Lett., 39, doi:10.1029/2012gl053402.

Purkey, S. G., and G. C. Johnson, (2012) Global contraction of Antarctic Bottom Water between the 1980s and 2000s, J. Clim., 25, 5830–5844, doi:10.1175/jcli-d-11.00612.1.

Naveira Garabato, A. C., R. Ferrari, and K. L. Polzin, (2011) Eddy stiring in the Southern Ocean, J. Geophys. Res., 116, C09019, doi:10.1029/2010jc006818.

Jullion, L., S. C. Jones, A. C. Naveira Garabato, and M. P. Meredith, (2010) Wind-controlled export of Antarctic Bottom Water from the Weddell Sea, Geophys. Res. Lett., 37, doi:10.1029/2010gl042822.

Naveira Garabato, A. C., L. Jullion, D. P. Stevens, K. J. Heywood, and B. A. King, (2009) Variability of Subantarctic Mode Water and Antarctic Intermediate Water in the Drake Passage during the late-twentieth and early-twenty-first centuries, J. Clim., 22 , 3661–3688, doi:10.1175/2009jcli2621.1.

Cunningham, S., and M. Pavic, (2007) Surface geostrophic currents across the Antarctic Circumpolar Current in Drake Passage from 1992 to 2004, Prog. Oceanogr., 73, 296–310, doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2006.07.010.

Heywood, K. J., J. L. Collins, C. W. Hughes, and I. Vassie, (2007) On the detectability of internal tides in Drake Passage, Deep Sea Res. I, 54, 1972–1984, doi:10.1016/j.dsr.2007.08.002.

Williams, A., S. Bacon, and S. Cunningham, (2006) Variability of the Lower Circumpolar Deep Water in Drake Passage 1926-2004, Geophys. Res. Lett., 33, doi:10.1029/2005gl024226.

Naveira Garabato, A. C., K. L. Polzin, B. A. King, K. J. Heywood, and M. Visbeck, (2004) Widespread intense turbulent mixing in the Southern Ocean, Science, 303, 210–213, doi:10.1126/science.1090929.

Sokolov, S., B. A. King, S. R. Rintoul, and R. L. Rojas, (2004) Upper ocean temperature and the baroclinic transport stream function relationship in Drake Passage, J. Geophys. Res., 109, doi:10.1029/2003jc002010.

Bryden, H. L., and S. A. Cunningham, (2003) How wind-forcing and air-sea heat exchange determine the meridional temperature gradient and stratification for the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, J. Geophys. Res., 108, 3275, doi:10.1029/2001jc001296.

Cunningham, S. A., S. G. Alderson, B. A. King, and M. A. Brandon, (2003) Transport and variability of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current in Drake Passage, J. Geophys. Res., 108, 8084, doi:10.1029/2001jc001147.

Meredith, M. P., C. W. Hughes, and P. R. Foden, (2003) Downslope convection north of Elephant Island, Antarctica: Influence on deep waters and dependence on ENSO, Geophys. Res. Lett., 30, doi:10.1029/2003gl017074.

Naveira Garabato, A. C., D. P. Stevens, and K. J. Heywood, (2003) Water mass conversion, fluxes, and mixing in the Scotia Sea diagnosed by an inverse model, J. Phys. Oceanogr., 33, 2565–2587, doi:10.1175/1520-0485(2003)033<2565:WMCFAM>2.0.CO;2.

Rubython, K. E., K. J. Heywood, and J. M. Vassie, (2001) Interannual variability of bottom temperatures in Drake Passage, J. Geophys. Res., 106, 2779–2793, doi:10.1029/2000JC900114.

Sanders, R., and T. Jickells, (2000) Total organic nutrients in Drake Passage, Deep Sea Res. I, 47, 997–1014, doi:10.1016/s0967-0637(99)00079-5.

Alderson, S. G., and S. A. Cunningham, (1999) Velocity errors in Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler measurements due to platform attitude variations and their effect on volume transport estimates, J. Atmos. Oceanic Tech., 16, 96–106, doi:10.1175/1520-0426(1999)016<0096:VEIZDC>2.0.CO;2.

Arhan, M., K. J. Heywood, and B. A. King, (1999) The deep waters from the Southern Ocean at the entry to the Argentine Basin, Deep Sea Res. II , 46 , 475–499, 10.1016/s0967-0645(98)00110-6.

Meredith, M. P., K. E. Grose, E. L. McDonagh, K. J. Heywood, R. D. Frew, and P. F. Dennis, (1999) Distribution of oxygen isotopes in the water masses of Drake Passage and the South Atlantic, J. Geophys. Res., 104, 20949–20962, doi:10.1029/98jc02544.

Meredith, M. P., J. M. Vassie, R. Spencer, and K. J. Heywood, (1997) The processing and application of inverted echo sounder data from Drake Passage, J. Atmos. Oceanic Tech., 14, 871–882, doi:10.1175/1520-0426(1997)014<0871:TPAAOI>2.0.CO;2.

King, B. A., S. G. Alderson, and D. Cromwell, (1996) Enhancement of shipboard ADCP data with DGPS position and GPS heading measurements, Deep Sea Res. I, 43, 937–947, doi:10.1016/0967-0637(96)00033-7.

Meredith, M. P., J. M. Vassie, K. J. Heywood, and R. Spencer, (1996) On the temporal variability of the transport through Drake Passage, J. Geophys. Res., 101, 22485–22494, doi:10.1029/96JC02003.

Reviews

Meredith, M. P., et al., (2011) Sustained monitoring of the Southern Ocean at Drake Passage: past achievements and future priorities, Rev. Geophys., 49, doi:10.1029/2010rg000348.

Rintoul, S. R., J. Church, E. Fahrbach, M. Garcia, A. Gordon, B. King, R. Morrow, A. H. Orsi, and K. Speer, (2001) Monitoring and understanding Southern Ocean variability and its impact on climate: a strategy for sustained observations, in Observing the ocean for climate in the 21st century, edited by C. Koblinsky and N. Smith, pp. section 5.4, 486–510, GODAE Project Office, Bureau of Meteorology, Melbourne, Australia, 2001.

Theses

Dibb, M. K., (2019) Assessing if the Antarctic Circumpolar Current transport in Drake Passage is changing over time, University of Southampton MSci Thesis.

Dragomir, O. C., (2017) Reconciling definitions of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current fronts in Drake Passage, University of Southampton MSc Thesis, 55 pp.

Evans, D. G., (2016) Heating and cooling or ebbing and flowing? Oceanic change from a thermocline perspective, University of Southampton Doctoral Thesis, 131 pp.

Evans, G. R. (2013) A study of the South Atlantic Ocean: Circulation and carbon variability, University of Southampton Doctoral Thesis, 343 pp.

Jullion, L., (2008) Water mass modification in the South Western Atlantic, University of East Anglia Doctoral Thesis, 243 pp.

Williams, A. P., (2008) Antarctic climate: Oceanic fluxes and variability, University of Southampton Doctoral Thesis, 204 pp.

Price, M. R., (2005) Processes governing interannual variability in Drake Passage, PhD Thesis.

Corbel, G., (2003) Spatio-temporal circulation variability in the vicinity of Drake Passage in OCCAM, University of Southampton MSc Thesis, 72 pp.

Marwood, T. J., (2000) Antarctic Intermediate Water and the Antarctic Circumpolar Current in the Southwest Atlantic, University of East Anglia PhD Thesis.

Rubython, K. E., (2000) Ocean variability in the Drake Passage and Scotia Sea region of the Southern Ocean, University of East Anglia PhD Thesis.

Cruise Reports

Firing, Y.L. (ed.) (2019) Repeat hydrographic measurements on GO-SHIP line SR1b. Southampton, UK, National Oceanography Centre, 90pp. (National Oceanography Centre Cruise Report No. 58)

Barnes, D.K.A., Brearley A., Firing, Y., Scourse J., and 25 others (2018) Scientific cruise report JR17001 RRS James Clark Ross NERC ICEBERGS & ORCHESTRA projects 2017. Cambridge, UK, British Antarctic Survey, 175pp.

Firing, Y. (ed.) (2017) RRS James Clark Ross Cruise JR16002, 10 Nov - 03 Dec 2016, Hydrographic measurements on GO-SHIP line SR1b. Southampton, UK, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, 43pp. (National Oceanography Centre Cruise Report No. 41)

Firing, Y. (ed.) (2016) RRS James Clark Ross Cruise JR15003, 17 Dec 2015 - 13 Jan 2016. Hydrographic measurements on GO-SHIP line SR1b and investigations of circulation and isotope cycles in coastal West Antarctica. Southampton, UK, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, 41pp. (National Oceanography Centre Cruise Report No. 38)

King, B.A. and Y. Firing (2015) RRS James Clark Ross Cruise JR306, 10 - 20 Jan 2015. Hydrographic measurements on WOCE line SR1b. Southampton, UK, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, 35pp. (National Oceanography Centre Cruise Report No. 31)

Meijers, A. (ed.) (2014) RRS James Clark Ross Cruise JR299, 8 Mar - 19 Apr 2014. Scotia Sea circumnavigation and DIMES UK5. Cambridge, UK, British Antarctic Survey, 176pp.

Sallée, J.-B. (ed.) (2013) RRS James Clark Ross Cruise JR281, 14 Mar - 26 Apr 2013. JR273A - JR272B - JR252B - JR278, UKD-4. Cambridge, UK, British Antarctic Survey, 150pp.

Naveira Garabato, A.C. and A. Watson (eds.) (2012) RRS James Cook Cruise JC069, 31 Jan - 22 Mar 2012. DIMES UK 3. Southampton, UK, University of Southampton, 137pp.

Yelland, M.J. (2011) RRS James Clark Ross Cruise JR265, 27 Nov - 24 Dec 2011. Part I: The Drake Passage hydrographic repeat section SR1b. Southampton, UK, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, 135pp. (National Oceanography Centre Cruise Report No. 10)

Watson, A. (ed.) (2011) RRS James Clark Ross Cruise JR276, 9 - 26 Apr 2011. DIMES UK 2.5. Norwich, UK, University of East Anglia, 115pp.

Yelland, M.J. (2009) RRS James Clark Ross Cruise 195, 18-29 Nov 2009. Drake Passage repeat hydrography of WOCE section SR1b: a beginners guide. Southampton, UK, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, 123pp. (National Oceanography Centre Southampton Cruise Report, 45)

McDonagh, E.L., Hamersley, D.R.C. and McDonagh, E.L. (eds.) (2009) RRS James Cook Cruise JC031, 03 Feb-03 Mar 2009. Hydrographic sections of Drake Passage. Southampton, UK, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, 170pp. (National Oceanography Centre Southampton Cruise Report, 39)

Stansfield, K. and Meredith, M. (2008) RRS James Clark Ross Cruise 139, 05 Dec-12 Dec 2005. Drake Passage Repeat Hydrography: WOCE Southern Repeat Section 1b Burdwood Bank to Elephant Island. Southampton, UK, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, 72pp. (National Oceanography Centre Southampton Cruise Report, 24)

Williams, A.P. and Hadfield, R.E. Quartly, G.D. (ed.) (2008) RRS James Clark Ross Cruise 163, 07 Dec-15 Dec 2006. Drake Passage Repeat Hydrography: WOCE Southern Repeat Section 1b - Burdwood Bank to Elephant Island. Southampton, UK, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, 64pp. (National Oceanography Centre Southampton Cruise Report, 25)

Bacon, S. and Cunningham, S.A. (eds.) (2005) Drake Passage summary report: Cruises on RRS "James Clark Ross", 1993-2000. Drake Passage repeat hydrography: WOCE Southern Repeat Section 1b - Elephant Island to Burdwood Bank. Southampton, UK, Southampton Oceanography Centre, 151pp. (Southampton Oceanography Centre Cruise Report, 44)

Hawker, E.J., King, B.A. and Sparrow, M. (2005) RRS James Clark Ross Cruise 94, 01 Dec-15 Dec 2003. Drake Passage repeat hydrography: WOCE Southern Repeat Section 1b - Burdwood Bank to Elephant Island. Southampton, UK, Southampton Oceanography Centre, 56pp. (Southampton Oceanography Centre Cruise Report, 55)

Sparrow, M. and Hawker, E.J. (2005) RRS James Clark Ross Cruise 115, 01 Dec-19 Dec 2004. Drake Passage repeat hydrography: WOCE Southern Repeat Section 1b - Burdwood Bank to Elephant Island. Southampton, UK, Southampton Oceanography Centre, 80pp. (Southampton Oceanography Centre Cruise Report, 56)

Bacon, S (2003) RRS James Clark Ross Cruise 81, 18 Dec 2002-02 Jan 2003. Drake Passage repeat hydrography: WOCE Southern Repeat Section 1b Elephant Island to Burdwood Bank. Southampton, UK, Southampton Oceanography Centre, 86pp. (Southampton Oceanography Centre Cruise Report, 43)

Bacon, S. (2002) RRS James Clark Ross Cruise 67, 19 Nov-17 Dec 2002. Drake Passage repeat hydrography: WOCE Southern Repeat Section 1b Burdwood Bank to Elephant Island. Southampton, UK, Southampton Oceanography Centre, 118pp. (Southampton Oceanography Centre Cruise Report, 38)

Cunningham, S.A. (2001) RRS James Clark Ross Cruise JR55, 21 Nov-14 Dec. Drake Passage repeat hydrography: WOCE Southern Section 1b Burdwood Bank to Elephant Island. Southampton, UK, Southampton Oceanography Centre, 75pp. (Southampton Oceanography Centre Cruise Report, 35)

Other

Cattle, H. and Sparrow, M. (eds.) (2005) CLIVAR Exchanges No. 35, Southern Hemisphere climate variability

Cunningham, S.A. (2005) Southern ocean circulation. Archives of Natural History, 32, 265-280.

Other projects

GO-SHIP coordinates global decadal repeat ship-based hydrographic surveys (following on from WOCE and CLIVAR), as well as more-frequent repeats on selected sections including SR1b, in order to obtain the high-quality observations of the global deep ocean that enable us to track large-scale changes in ocean water properties over decadal time scales.

The TICTOC (Transient tracer-based Investigation of Circulation and Thermal Ocean Change) project will use tracer measurements from repeat hydrographic lines including SR1b to distinguish which regional changes in temperature are due to global warming and which are due to ocean circulation redistributing heat (NERC).

The three components of RoSES (Role of the Southern Ocean in the Earth System) focus on different aspects of the Southern Ocean carbon system to better understand the ocean sink of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (NERC).

SOCCOM (Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modeling) began deploying biogeochemical Argo floats in 2014, and will use their data to improve representation of the Southern Ocean in numerical climate models with the goal of determining the Southern Ocean's influence on climate (NSF).

Moorings deployed in the Orkney Passage in 2015 as part of DynOPO (Dynamics of the Orkney Passage) and continued by ORCHESTRA monitor AABW outflow from the Weddell to the Scotia Sea (NERC).

The A23 repeat hydrographic section through the Weddell Sea and eastern Scotia Sea has been occupied every few years, and more recently annually, since 1995, to monitor and understand changes in Antarctic Bottom Water (NERC).

High-resolution upper-oceanXBT/XCTD/ADCP measurements in Drake Passage have been made from the ARSV L. M. Gould multiple times per year since 1996 (NSF).

Bottom pressures and temperatures at both sides of Drake Passage were monitored from 1988 through 2016 as part of the ACCLAIM (Antarctic Circumpolar Current Levels by Altimetry and Island Measurements) network (NERC).

The SMILES (Surface Mixed Layer Evolution at Submesoscales) project investigated submesoscale surface layer processes in northern Drake Passage during a cruise in 2015 (NERC).

The ChinStrAp project deployed gliders in Drake Passage in summer 2014/2015 to observe turbulent processes near the southern boundary (NSF).

DIMES (Diapycnal and Isopycnal Mixing Experiment in the Southern Ocean measured rates of mixing in the ACC both upstream of and in Drake Passage over 11 cruises from 2011-2014 (NERC/NSF).

Southern Ocean air-sea fluxes were monitored from the RRS James Clark Ross over the summers from 2010/2011 - 2012/2013 by WAGES (Waves, Aerosols and Gas Exchange Study) (NERC).

Hydrography along the boundaries of the Weddell Gyre was measured by the ANDREX (Antarctic Deep Water Rates of Export) cruises in 2008-2010 (NERC).

The cDrake project used 4-year time series from an array of CPIES in Drake Passage (2007-2011) to quantify ACC transport and balances of heat, momentum, and vorticity (NSF).

The DRAKE experiment used an array of 9 current meter moorings across Drake Passage from 2006 to 2009 along with satellite altimetry to study ACC circulation (CNRS, CNES).