In 1994, two drifters were deployed in Drake Passage, north of Palmer Station, Antarctica.

Between 1996 and 1998, drifters were deployed in the vicinity of 12 optical moorings located in the Southern Ocean.  The mooring site is indicated in the map below.

The figures below show the tracks of each set of physical and optical drifters.  Further details about each drifter can be obtained by either selecting the appropriate track within the figure or the drifter ID in the legend below each figure.  The drifter data presented here are from deployments made in 1994, 1996, 1997 and 1998.

1994

Figure 1: Optical drifters deployed in 1994: 22621 (red) and 22623 (green).  The grayscale background shows the bathymetry (darker is deeper).  The location of Palmer Station is also shown for reference.

1996

Figure 2: Optical drifters deployed in 1996: 23683 (red), 23684 (green) and 23685 (blue).  The grayscale background shows the bathymetry (darker is deeper).  The positions of the optical moorings are also shown (white stars).

1997

Figure 3a: Physical drifters deployed in 1997: 20132A (red), 20133A (green), 20134A (blue), 20135A (magenta), 20136A (yellow), 20137A (cyan), 20138A (white, thick line), 20139A (black, thick line), 20140A (white, thin line), 20141A (black, thin line).  The grayscale background shows the bathymetry (darker is deeper).  The positions of the optical moorings are also shown (white stars).

Figure 3b: Optical drifters deployed in 1997: 20147A (red), 20148A (green), 20149A (blue), 20151A (black), 20152A (magenta), 20153A (yellow), 20154A (cyan), 22621A (white). The grayscale background shows the bathymetry (darker is deeper).  The positions of the optical moorings are also shown (white stars).

1998

Figure 4a: Physical drifters deployed in 1998: 20142A (red), 20143A (green), 20144A (blue), 20145A (magenta), 20146A (yellow). The grayscale background shows the bathymetry (darker is deeper).  The positions of the optical moorings are also shown (white stars).

Figure 4b: Optical drifters deployed in 1998: 22622A (red), 22623A (green), 23686A (blue), 23687A (magenta), 23688A (yellow). The grayscale background shows the bathymetry (darker is deeper).  The positions of the optical moorings are also shown (white stars).

Webpage by Jasmine S. Bartlett, Oregon State University.