Drs. Aulicino and Cotroneo (University of Napoli Parthenope) visited SOCIB glider facility

During the month of May 2015, Dr. Giuseppe Aulicino and Dr. Yuri Cotroneo (University of Napoli Parthenope) visited again SOCIB glider facility. During their recent visit they worked on the ABACUS project, based on the use of glider technology and satellite data to monitor the physical and bio-geochemical properties as well as the circulation features of the Algerian Basin. Dr. Giuseppe Aulicino and Dr. Yuri Cotroneo had already spent some working days at SOCIB and IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB) in the framework of the Algerian BAsin Circulation Unmanned Survey - ABACUS - funded by EU FP7 JERICO TNA third call.

During their visits, activities focused on the preparation of the glider mission (September 2014) and on the discussion of early results (January 2015). During May 2015, their activities at SOCIB are dedicated to the extensive analysis of the big dataset collected during two glider missions at sea and about three months of satellite monitoring. Research were focused on the three dimensional description and characterization of a mesoscale eddy sampled by glider, drifter and satellites south-east of Mallorca in the second half of 2014. Data analysis and following discussion have highlighted the importance of the Algerian Basin circulation with particular emphasis on the impacts of mesoscale eddies on physical properties of water masses and upper ocean biogeochemical exchanges.