The study of ocean currents and their circulation pattern has aroused great interest in recent decades due to their influence on climatology on a global scale and consequently the direct repercussions on habitability conditions.

Introduction

The Drift Buoy Project is a collaborative project between the Canary Islands Institute of Marine Sciences and the AOML (Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory) / NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). Since the beginning of this project in 1998, a drift buoy has been launched every month at the ESTOC Oceanographic Station located 60 miles north of Gran Canaria.

At present all data from these buoys are being processed to establish patterns in subsurface currents as well as their seasonality and variability in the environment of the Canary Archipelago. These data can be integrated into predictive models of drift objects, in order to be able to advise in case of human losses or material in marine accidents.


Deployments


#

Identifier

Release Date

Deployment Means

1          

122703

26/09/2017

ÁNGELES ALVARIÑO

2          

122707

13/04/2017

ÁNGELES ALVARIÑO

3          

122702

11/10/2016

ÁNGELES ALVARIÑO

4          

122693

08/06/2016

J.SOCAS

5          

122694

21/02/2016

ÁNGELES ALVARIÑO

6          

122695

26/10/2015

ÁNGELES ALVARIÑO

7          

122697

29/09/2015

ÁNGELES ALVARIÑO

8          

122699

02/06/2014

SARMIENTO DE GAMBOA

9          

118412

25/02/2014

POSEIDON

10      

118414

08/10/2013

ÁNGELES ALVARIÑO

11      

118417

21/04/2013

RAMÓN MARGALEF

12      

118411

27/02/2013

ATLANTIC EXPLORET

13      

118418

31/10/2012

HELICOPTERO SAR

14      

118416

27/07/2012

HELICOPTERO SAR

15      

44089

29/03/2012

HELICOPTERO SAR

16      

44096

03/12/2011

CORNIDE SAAVEDRA

17      

44113

01/09/2011

HELICOPTERO SAR

18      

44107

17/05/2011

ATLANTIC EXPLORET

19      

44106

12/04/2011

HELICOPTERO SAR

20      

44103

18/01/2011

HELICOPTERO SAR

21      

71116

11/11/2010

VIZCONDE DE EZA

22      

44115

11/11/2010

VIZCONDE DE EZA

23      

71125

19/06/2010

POSEIDON

24      

71093

08/04/2010

VIZCONDE DE EZA

25      

71095

11/11/2009

VIZCONDE DE EZA

26      

71091

01/10/2009

HELICOPTERO SAR

27      

75338

20/05/2009

Prof. IGNACIO LOZANO

28      

71105

08/04/2009

MERIAN

29      

71119

25/03/2009

PIXAPE II

30      

71111

27/01/2009

POSEIDON

31      

71109

04/12/2008

SARMIENTO DE GAMBOA

32      

71126

20/10/2008

HELICOPTERO SAR

33      

71122

01/07/2008

HELICOPTERO SAR

34      

71098

15/04/2008

POSEIDON

35      

71101

30/03/2008

HELICOPTERO SAR

36      

71104

30/01/2008

HELICOPTERO SAR

37      

62326

30/10/2007

POSEIDON

38      

62327

30/10/2007

POSEIDON

39      

62328

30/10/2007

POSEIDON

40      

71092

30/10/2007

POSEIDON

41      

62325

06/06/2007

HELICOPTERO SAR

42      

62329

06/06/2007

HELICOPTERO SAR

43      

62330

06/06/2007

HELICOPTERO SAR

44      

62331

06/06/2007

HELICOPTERO SAR

45      

62332

20/03/2007

MERIAN

46      

62333

19/02/2007

HELICOPTERO SAR

47      

62334

19/02/2007

HELICOPTERO SAR

48      

62335

19/02/2007

HELICOPTERO SAR

49      

62336

19/02/2007

HELICOPTERO SAR

50      

62291

09/12/2006

POSEIDON

51      

62292

04/11/2006

POSEIDON

52      

62294

04/11/2006

POSEIDON

53      

62290

04/11/2006

POSEIDON

54      

62293

03/10/2006

PIXAPE II

55      

54686

09/08/2006

SOLANA

56      

54684

08/06/2006

PIXAPE II

57      

54685

27/04/2006

CENTINELA

58      

54683

04/03/2006

POSEIDON

59      

54687

26/01/2006

CAZADORA

60      

54679

06/12/2005

POSEIDON

61      

54678

22/11/2005

POSEIDON

62      

54680

28/10/2005

VENCEDORA

63      

54682

28/09/2005

CENTINELA

64      

43589

26/08/2005

VENCEDORA

65      

43590

28/07/2005

PIXAPE II

66      

43588

26/05/2005

CENTINELA

67      

43591

11/03/2005

POSEIDON

68      

43587

15/02/2005

CENTINELA

69      

43586

11/01/2005

CENTINELA

70      

43585

05/12/2004

POSEIDON

71      

43582

04/11/2004

VENCEDORA

72      

43583

07/10/2004

CALETON

73      

43584

20/04/2004

POSEIDON

74      

39202

13/03/2004

CENTINELA

75      

39201

13/02/2004

CENTINELA

76      

39203

30/01/2004

CENTINELA

77      

39204

16/12/2003

CENTINELA

78      

39197

30/10/2003

POSEIDON

79      

39207

10/09/2003

THALASSA

80      

39200

01/08/2003

TALIARTE

81      

39199

15/07/2003

TALIARTE

82      

39193

13/06/2003

METEOR

83      

39194

13/05/2003

TOFIÑO

84      

39195

05/04/2003

POSEIDON

85      

39196

16/03/2003

TALIARTE

86      

33191

18/02/2003

TALIARTE

87      

33192

29/01/2003

TALIARTE

88      

33190

04/12/2002

TALIARTE

89      

33193

22/11/2002

TALIARTE

90      

33195

15/10/2002

TALIARTE

91      

33194

12/09/2002

TALIARTE

92      

30315

28/06/2002

TALIARTE

93      

30316

14/05/2002

TALIARTE

94      

30314

13/04/2002

METEOR

95      

33185

03/03/2002

POSEIDON

96      

33186

25/02/2002

CENTINELA

97      

33188

21/12/2001

MEDAS

98      

33184

30/11/2001

MEDAS

99      

33187

09/10/2001

MEDAS

100   

33189

25/09/2001

TALIARTE

101   

30137

29/08/2001

TALIARTE

102   

30136

26/06/2001

TALIARTE

103   

30054

15/05/2001

TALIARTE

104   

30138

21/04/2001

TALIARTE

105   

30139

21/03/2001

POSEIDON

106   

30193

19/02/2001

CORNIDE SAAVEDRA

107   

21680

02/12/2000

TALIARTE

108   

21677

22/11/2000

TALIARTE

109   

21678

10/10/2000

TALIARTE

110   

21676

21/09/2000

TALIARTE

111   

21343

29/08/2000

TALIARTE

112   

21679

01/08/2000

TALIARTE

113   

20332

20/06/2000

TALIARTE

114   

20342

25/05/2000

TALIARTE

115   

20343

06/04/2000

POSEIDON

116   

20312

15/03/2000

POSEIDON

117   

20352

03/02/2000

TALIARTE

118   

20334

27/01/2000

TALIARTE

119   

20341

01/12/1999

TALIARTE

120   

20365

02/11/1999

METEOR

121   

20351

23/10/1999

METEOR

122   

20329

28/09/1999

TALIARTE

123   

20313

31/08/1999

TALIARTE

124   

20358

20/07/1999

TALIARTE

125   

20181

15/06/1999

TALIARTE

126   

20186

01/06/1999

POSEIDON

127   

20051

04/05/1999

TALIARTE

128   

17783

20/03/1999

POSEIDON

129   

20106

25/02/1999

POSEIDON

130   

20126

31/01/1999

POSEIDON

131   

20097

15/12/1998

TALIARTE

132   

20070

19/11/1998

TALIARTE

133   

30667

27/09/1998

METEOR

134   

30678

28/08/1998

GRACIA DEL MAR

135   

30668

11/07/1998

METEOR

136   

30666

25/06/1998

METEOR

137   

30681

19/05/1998

TALIARTE

138   

30680

24/04/1998

POSEIDON

139   

30669

24/03/1998

POSEIDON

140   

30679

18/02/1998

TALIARTE

Technical Specifications

Surface buoy components:
  • a temperature sensor and a drogue sensor
  • the Argos transmitter antenna (position accuracy: 500 metres)
  • the battery
Cable tether:
  • Its function is to connect the buoy to the drogue
  • It contains a subsurface buoy at a depth of 3 metres
Counter-weight or drogue (Holey-Sock)::
  • It has a floating anchor function
  • It is cylindrical and has a 1 metre diameter and is 6.5 metres long
  • It has 14 holes cut on both sides 
  • It is centred at 15 metres
Its average lifespan is estimated to be: 1.5 years
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