National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
United States Department of Commerce

The Arctic Heat Team Conducts Last Flight Mission of the Summer

September 13, 2016

The PMEL Arctic Heat research team, including cooperative institute (JISAO) scientists, in front of NOAA Twin Otter during the first flight in June. From left to right: LT Alex Johnston, co-pilot; Dr Kevin Wood, lead scientist; LT Shanae Coker, aircraft commander; Leah ChomiakHollings Scholar; Alex EkholmWHOI engineer; Jeff Smith, scientific systems engineer.

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September 13, 2016

September 10 – 20: The Arctic Heat Team has been making their way from Barrow, AK to Kotzebue on a specially-outfitted NOAA Twin Otter aircraft. Over the 10 day mission, the team is launching traditional atmospheric and oceanographic probes as well as the experimental Air-Launched Autonomous Micro-Observer (ALAMO) floats into the Chukchi Sea. Four ALAMO floats were deployed in June 2016 in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas.  These floats will continue to collect data on upper ocean temperatures throughout the year.

The team on this mission includes: Kevin Wood and Nick Bond from UW/JISAO and NOAA/PMEL, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s engineer Alex Ekholm, and LTJG Kevin Doremus as the Aircraft Commander.

Watch a video of the team launching various floats during the first deployments on YouTube.