Final Countdown: Preparing for SPLASH

The final countdown to CARTHE’s last large scale experiment has begun.  SPLASH (Submesoscale Processes and Lagrangian Analysis on the Shelf) will take place in April 8-May 5 2017. The team will return to the northern Gulf of Mexico, this time near the Louisiana Bight, to examine how ocean currents transport oil and other particles across the shelf and onto shore, bridging the gap between the offshore observations from GLAD and LASER and the coastal observations from SCOPE.

SPLASH encompasses the shelf, inner shelf, surf, inlets, and bays west of the Mississippi River Delta (MRD) within the Louisiana Bight. This is a region that was impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. It is a dynamic location, owing to the freshwater discharge of the Mississippi River, and known as an important site for cross-shore transport due to the narrow shelf.

The GPS units are ready to be installed into the brand new, custom made, biodegradable drifters.  

The scientists are meeting regularly to talk through different scenarios and planning how to best release the thousands of pieces of equipment that will be used to measure the currents.

The drone team is practicing.

The ship and boat crews are preparing their routes, meal plans, equipment.  The outreach manager is working on ways to share the experiment with all of you (hi!).  Follow along as this amazing team conducts yet another enormous experiment in an effort to better predict the movement of the next oil spill!