ITP 30 Deployment Operations

The weather was excellent for the last ice station operation to deploy the last of five ITPs during the JOIS/BGOS cruise in 2008, ITP number 30. The site of the deployment was selected during an ice reconnaissance survey the previous afternoon, where this particular ice floe stood out from the very thin and ponded floes in the region. Overnight, while other shipboard science was being performed, the 2.4 m thick floe drifted only 5 miles, and was easily located the following morning. By this time of the cruise, the deployment operations had become extremely efficient. Consequently, the entire installation from the first helicopter flight with personnel and equipment to the site, to the concluding deployment of the surface package took only 1.5 hours, while other scientists concurrently obtain ice and upper ocean measurements from the floe, and the last SAMS ice mass balance buoy was deployed.

More information and photos on the deployment operation are also available at: https://www.whoi.edu/page.do?pid=67322

Gary Morgan and Will Ostrom auger the 10.5" hole through the 2.4 m floe for deployment of ITP 30. (Photo by Rick Krishfield)

Chief Scientist Sarah Zimmerman cleans ice debris from the hole in order to sample the near surface ocean beneath the sea ice with a manually lowered CTD.

Before the ITP is deployed, Chief Scientist Sarah Zimmerman cleans ice debris from the hole in order to sample the near surface ocean beneath the sea ice with a manually lowered CTD. (Photo by Rick Krishfield)

Rick Krishfield is lowering the package through the hole in the ice floe.

On this particular prototype ITP, the CTD sensors manufactured by FSI protrude from the side of the endcap, with the expectation that the wake effects of the instrument would be less. Here Rick Krishfield is lowering the package through the hole in the ice floe. (Photo by Gary Morgan)

Just prior to attaching the surface package to tether, the load is transferred from the winch to a Yale grip which is applied to the wire by Jim Dunn and Ostrom. (Photo by Rick Krishfield)

While the ITP is being deployed, David Meldrum deploy a SAMS ice mass balance buoy nearby. (Photo by Rick Krishfield)

Up, up and away. Gary Morgan releases the ITP winch which is slung away by the helicopter back to the ship. (Photo by Rick Krishfield)