James D. Ebert - US grants

Johns Hopkins University, Cheaspeake Bay Institute will operate the R/V RIDGELY WARFIELD during 1990 as a general oceanographic vessel in support of NSF-funded research projects. The R/V RIDGELY WARFIELD is a 106' general research vessel owned by the National Science Foundation. This vessel is part of a fleet used by the National Science Foundation to support oceanographic research projects. Most oceanographic research projects require highly specialized equipment and extensive support from a ship's crew members. An increasing number of research projects require equipment that must be permanently installed on a ship and for which the ship must be specifically designed. Such equipment also requires highly trained crew members for maintenance and operation. These vessels do not operate in the same manner as general cargo or fishing vessels, and therefore, NSF supports the operation of a variety of vessels specifically dedicated to oceanographic research. These vessels are operated by universities and research institutions around the country. R/V R. WARFIELD is a capable platform for these operations. Constructed by JHU in 1967, this vessel's shallow draft and twin hull design are well suited for its principal area of operations in the Chesapeake Bay. The marine operations staff at JHU are fully capable of meeting the requirements of this proposal. The program considers it important to continue the operations of the R/V R. WARFIELD because it is the only research vessel based in the Chesapeake Bay and because of its highly cost-effective operation. The ship supports many cruises of short duration that would be much more expensive to support and difficult to schedule using any other vessel in the fleet.

The Chesapeake Bay Institute of Johns Hopkins University will provide shipboard technical services associated with the research vessel RIDGLEY WARFIELD, a 110-foot ship that is owned by the NSF and operated by the University. A significant portion of the ship's operating schedule in recent years has been and is normally in support of NSF- sponsored research programs. The Shipboard Technician Program has two components: an at-sea component and an ashore component. The at-sea component consists of instructing scientific personnel in the use of shared shipboard equipment; maintenance, repair, and calibration of scientific instrumentation; instruction and supervision of deck operations; and providing logistics assistance to on-coming and off-going scientific parties. On shore activities include the maintenance, repair, and calibration of shared use seagoing equipment and assisting scientific personnel in preparing for field work on the vessel. Shipboard technicians funded by this award have broad responsibilities for providing the coordination and assistance needed for the successful completion of research projects at sea. The level of activity and amount of support are closely related to the size and capability of the vessel, and its scientific outfit and capability.

This grant is to support a field program to study the processes controlling mixing in the Chesapeake Bay. Short period, small-scale processes control the fluxes of momentum, heat, salt, and nutrients in the Bay. Itsweire will use a new profiling and microstructure techniques to measure the turbulent events and calculate their contribution to the flux problem.

This project will supply shipboard scientific support equipment for the research vessel RIDGELY WARFIELD, operated by the Johns Hopkins University, Chesapeake Bay Institute, and dedicated to use in support of ocean science research. The Shipboard Scientific Support Equipment Program provides funds for ship equipment deemed essential to the proper and safe conduct of ocean science research. This Program provides support for such items as deck equipment including winch systems for the deployment and retrieval of scientific instruments, navigational equipment such as radars, gyroscopes and earth satellite receivers to pin point the location of research sites, communication equipment including radio transceivers and satellite transceivers for voice and scientific data communications and other equipment such as motorized workboats for transporting scientists to and from data retrieval sites. The Project Directors, Dr. James D. Ebert and Bruce K. Cornwall are fully qualified to direct this project having had considerable experience in overseeing the acquisition and installation of shipboard equipment. This project will allow the institution to install a block for improved CTD wire monitoring, and a new radar to replace an obsolete and defective one.

This proposal requests support for improvements to the research vessel R/V RIDGELY WARFIELD, an NSF-built research vessel, operated by the Johns Hopkins University, Chesapeake Bay Institute (CBI) and dedicated to use in support of ocean science research. The construction or conversion activity of the Oceanographic Centers and Facilities Section provides funds for upgrading the capabilities of ocean science research vessels through support of ship construction or conversion. Support is provided for such things as new deckhouses, improved laboratory spaces, improved power systems, sophisticated submersible handling equipment, and the lengthening of ships and even new ship construction. The Project Directors, Dr. James D. Ebert, Director CBI, and Bruce K. Cornwall, Marine Superintendent, are fully qualified to direct this project having had considerable experience in overseeing similar activities. This project will provide funds for a detailed design for the replacement of the WARFIELD's engines and generators in order to extend the useful life of the ship as a coastal zone research vessel.

Analysis will be completed on previously collected data to compare the evolution of turbulence in the wake of a sphere with that generated by a mesh with uniform grid size. Completion of this project will lead to better understanding of turbulent mixing in stratified flows and internally consistent criteria to describe its evolution.