Beaufort Gyre Observing System Data (BGOSD)

The major goal of the observational program is to determine the variability of different components of the BG fresh water (ocean and sea ice) system and to assess the partial concentrations of fresh water of different origin (rivers, Pacific Ocean, precipitation, ice/snow melt, etc).

Using moorings, drifting buoys, shipboard, and remote sensing measurements we have been measuring time series of temperature, salinity, currents, geochemical tracers, sea ice draft, and sea level since August 2003, to determine freshwater content and freshwater fluxes in the BG during a complete seasonal cycle and beyond. The moorings will precisely measure the variations of the vertical distribution of freshwater content and sea ice draft at representative locations (see Methods - Instruments).