14 DAY TRIAL // Experts managing the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) announce that the expedition is undergoing final preparations, ahead of a scheduled departure date tomorrow, September 6. The survey will deploy buoys to monitor salinity levels in the northern Atlantic Ocean.
The work will be led by experts at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), in Massachusetts, who will use the research vessel RV Knorr for the job. The image above shows the buoys that will be used during this investigation, with the ship in the background.
By deploying these assets, experts will be able to compile a 3D image of the saltiest spots in the Atlantic Ocean. This will be very useful during future efforts to determine the exact influence that oceanic saltiness has on precipitation patterns around the world, say officials at NASA, which funds the study.