Growlers 

 68 



Radar & Visual 

 416 



Radar Only 

 180 



Visual Only 

 100 



Figure 12. Breakdown of targets detected by IRDs in 2002. 



IIP collects oceanographic data with 

 air or ship-deployed, satellite-tracked 

 drifting buoys and Air-deployed 

 expendable BathyThermograph probes. 

 AXBT probes are dropped to determine the 

 water temperature profile. This information 

 helps IIP determine the location of the 

 Labrador Current, validate temperatures 

 from satellite-tracked drifting buoys, and 

 obtain precise SST measurements for 

 numerical models. Figure 13 displays 



52N 



SON 



48N 



46N 



44N 



42N 



56W 52W 48W 



Figure 13. AXBT drop locations. 



44W 



AXBT drop locations during the 2002 

 season. IIP dropped 98 AXBT probes and 

 collected data from 70 of the drops for a 

 failure rate of 29%. Figure 14 



demonstrates the development of HP's 

 AXBT program since 1999. IIP awarded a 

 contract in 1999 to replace the AXBT 

 receiver with a more reliable system. The 

 new system was tested and used 

 operationally during the 2000 through 2002 

 seasons. Planned improvements including 

 receiver maintenance and a software 

 upgrade are expected to reduce failures. 



AXBT information is coded into a 

 standard format and shared with the 

 Canadian Maritime Atlantic Command 

 Meteorological and Oceanographic Center, 



CD 

 X 



< 



1999 2000 2001 2002 



AXBTs 



Failures 



Figure 14. AXBT drops and failure rate (1999-2002). 



13 



