Reminiscences of MODE
25
values, accompanied by maps providing at least a relative measure of the mean square
error of the estimate.
THE MODE-1 FIELD PROGRAM
In March 1973 deployment of the main array began, and it was fully operational
for April, May, and June. It did not pass without notice that the site was near the
center of the infamous Bermuda triangle, where legend told of ships disappearing
without trace. However, an unforeseen hazard proved to be modern airline service
to Bermuda itself, which was essential as a staging base for equipment and other
exceptional supplies destined for the ships at sea. During the winter and spring, the
MODE Project Office had made extensive use of air freight, but when the tourist
season began the airlines could make more money from passengers, and refused to
accept any freight but meat, fresh fruit and vegetables. Dennis Moore spent countless
hours on the telephone cajoling, bullying, and devising alternative routings.
I spent 3 weeks at sea helping with hydrostations on board a comfortable ship
operated by NOAA. I must admit that on at least one occasion on my watch the STD
showed evidence of mud from the ocean floor, but the data were apparently unaffected.
I also saw with my own eyes the surface mooring at MODE Center that supported
the only continuous wind record for the experiment. It was the only mooring in the
entire array that was visible at the surface. Twenty-four hours later it had vanished,
apparently stolen by a large unidentified ship seen stationary in its vicinity! Rumored
informal enquiries failed to accomplish the return of at least its invaluable data, so the
only measurements available to compute the wind forcing on the ocean surface during
the field program were the standard weather observations from the visiting research
ships.
Meanwhile the SOFAR float tracks and preliminary hydrostation data were
unfolding on a daily basis. In Baltimore we used these data to construct and distribute
preliminary maps of the stream function at float level. This effort was rewarded when
a message from Tom Rossby at sea reported that a float that he had launched a few
days previously had ceased transmission and he did not know where it was. Since
these floats were very expensive he wished to recover it. He could communicate with
it from the ship at a higher acoustic frequency, but only from within 1 km or so.
Could we tell him where it might be found? The available data were slender in the
extreme but we committed to the very first weather forecast for the abyssal ocean. To
my intense surprise, he went to the predicted spot and recovered the float!
For me the final memorable event of the field program was in early July in
Bermuda, where my family was on vacation while I did duty in the control center at
the Marine Biological Center. Everything was running smoothly and there was little
work to be done. Then came the first hurricane of the year, which was exceptionally
early. The ships were never in danger, but the eye came straight toward Bermuda.
25
values, accompanied by maps providing at least a relative measure of the mean square
error of the estimate.
THE MODE-1 FIELD PROGRAM
In March 1973 deployment of the main array began, and it was fully operational
for April, May, and June. It did not pass without notice that the site was near the
center of the infamous Bermuda triangle, where legend told of ships disappearing
without trace. However, an unforeseen hazard proved to be modern airline service
to Bermuda itself, which was essential as a staging base for equipment and other
exceptional supplies destined for the ships at sea. During the winter and spring, the
MODE Project Office had made extensive use of air freight, but when the tourist
season began the airlines could make more money from passengers, and refused to
accept any freight but meat, fresh fruit and vegetables. Dennis Moore spent countless
hours on the telephone cajoling, bullying, and devising alternative routings.
I spent 3 weeks at sea helping with hydrostations on board a comfortable ship
operated by NOAA. I must admit that on at least one occasion on my watch the STD
showed evidence of mud from the ocean floor, but the data were apparently unaffected.
I also saw with my own eyes the surface mooring at MODE Center that supported
the only continuous wind record for the experiment. It was the only mooring in the
entire array that was visible at the surface. Twenty-four hours later it had vanished,
apparently stolen by a large unidentified ship seen stationary in its vicinity! Rumored
informal enquiries failed to accomplish the return of at least its invaluable data, so the
only measurements available to compute the wind forcing on the ocean surface during
the field program were the standard weather observations from the visiting research
ships.
Meanwhile the SOFAR float tracks and preliminary hydrostation data were
unfolding on a daily basis. In Baltimore we used these data to construct and distribute
preliminary maps of the stream function at float level. This effort was rewarded when
a message from Tom Rossby at sea reported that a float that he had launched a few
days previously had ceased transmission and he did not know where it was. Since
these floats were very expensive he wished to recover it. He could communicate with
it from the ship at a higher acoustic frequency, but only from within 1 km or so.
Could we tell him where it might be found? The available data were slender in the
extreme but we committed to the very first weather forecast for the abyssal ocean. To
my intense surprise, he went to the predicted spot and recovered the float!
For me the final memorable event of the field program was in early July in
Bermuda, where my family was on vacation while I did duty in the control center at
the Marine Biological Center. Everything was running smoothly and there was little
work to be done. Then came the first hurricane of the year, which was exceptionally
early. The ships were never in danger, but the eye came straight toward Bermuda.