An intensive array of floats was deployed early in the cruise near the nominal center of the Labrador Sea Gyre. Deployment began in sea state 7, continued into sea state 8 (title photo) and had to be suspended. It resumed at sea state 7, but the sea limited the directions that the ship could steam for the first 4 CTD and float deployment stations. Symmetrical reflection of the resulting pattern produced the unusual hexagonal array. The underway log and CTD data (Fig. 7) shows that the array was deployed in a region of nearly uniform surface salinity, temperature and mixed layer depth.

The warm, salty region between the intensive array and the AUV mooring site was intensively surveyed on February 2-5 using the underway log and XBTs. The survey reveals the region to be approximately circular, about 22 km across, anomalously warm and salty, and having mixed layer depths of about 500 m, compared to 200-250 m in the surrounding ocean (Figure 7). The deeper mixed layers result from a deeper main pycnocline with little change in the surface density. This region appears to be an anticyclonic eddy containing Irminger Sea water with similar properties to that found along the northern part of section.

RAFOS and ALACE floats were deployed in the center of the eddy. These will hopefully reveal its circulation. Comparison with the nearby intensive array floats may indicate whether the eddy enhances or inhibits deep convection.

Figure shows Mixed Layer depth from CTD ('o') and XBT data ('o'). Each point is labelled with Depth/100. This overlies intake temperature.  A data gap has been filled with an artificial datum at 57.1 N, 53.6 W.  Mixed layer depth and temperature show a very similar pattern.