Variabilité spatiale et temporelle du système biologique dans la convergence subtropicale au sud de l'Afrique

Au sud de l'Afrique du sud, le système frontal des Aiguilles, formé par la juxtapositon du front des Aiguilles (AF) et du front subtropical (STF) associés respectivement, au courant de retour des Aiguilles (ARC) et à la Convergence Subtropicale (STC) et plus au sud par le front subantarctique (SAF), est le siège d'une activité mésoéchelle importante. L'interaction à mésoéchelle des processus physiques et géochimiques est donc influencée par la variabilité spatiale et temporelle du système des Aiguilles et de déterminer l'impact de la variabilité des fronts thermodynamiques AF, STF, et SAF sur la distribution phytoplanctonique et sur la production primaire à l'échelle saisonnière et interannuelle. L'analyse en ondelettes, menée conjointement sur quatre années (Octobre 1997 - Septembre 2001) d'observations spatiales multi-capteurs (couleur de l'eau SeaWiFS, altimétrie Topex/Poseïdon-ERS2, radiométrie infrarouge AVHRR) et sur les champs modélisés correspondants provenant du modèle couplé physique-biologie AGAPE-Bio en simulation interannuelle, a permis d'étudier les relations existantes entre le front biologique et les fronts thermodynamiques (AF, STF, SAF). La variabilité saisonnière et interannuelle du système frontal des Aiguilles est étudiée au travers des résultats de simulation et confrontée aux mesures in situ OISO (Océan Indien Service d'Observation) sur la période 1998-2001. Les images de couleur de l'eau SeaWiFS révèlent la sporadicité des enrichissements en chlorophylle le long de la STC. Une analyse statistique est réalisée en vue de déterminer les caractéristiques (durée de vie, extension et distribution spatiale et temporelle) de ces évènements enrichis. Une étude similaire réalisée sur les champs de chlorophylle modélisés nous a permis d'examiner les causes responsables de l'apparition et de la disparition de ces enrichissements sporadiques en chlorophylle. Dans la plupart des situations, la dynamique de la couche de mélange au sein des évènements combinée avec la disponibilité en lumière joue un rôle prépondérantSouth of South Africa, the greater Agulhas Current system, formed by the Agulhas Front (AF) in close juxtapositon with the Subtropical Front (STF), associated to the Agulhas Return Current (ARC) and the Subtropical Convergence (STC), respectively, and farther south by the Subantartic Front (SAF) is a region of intense mesoscale activity presenting enhanced levels of biological production and chlorophyll a. The spatial and temporal variability of a such frontal system influences the physical/biological interactions. The aim of this work is to examine the spatio-temporal variability of the Aguhas frontal system and to determine how the variability of the thermodynamic fronts (AF, STF, SAF) affects the chlorophyll field and the primary production at seasonal and interannual time scales. A wavelet analysis is performed on the 4-years (October 1997 - September 2001) time series of multi-sensors satellite data sets (ocean colour collected by SeaWiFS, mapped sea level anomalies from Topex/Poseïdon-ERS2 and sea surface temperature provided by the infrared radiometer AVHRR) in order to characterize the time and space variability of the front comparing the biological front with the dynamical fronts. A similar analysis is carried out on modelled fields provided by an eddy-permitting, physical-biological coupled model AGAPE-Bio using interannual forcing. Seasonal and interannual variability of the frontal system is then studied through the model results and compared with in situ observations from OISO (Océan Indien Service d'Observation) over the 1998-2001 period. Satellite remote sensing reveals localized high chlorophyll a concentrations, appearing as intermittent event-scale blooms in this region. A statistical analysis is conducted along the Subtropical Convergence to characterize these event-scale blooms in terms of lifetime, chlorophyll concentration, areal extension and spatial distribution. Our numerical model simulates this process with a fair degree of verisimilitude and is used to investigate the physico-biogeochemical requirements for bloom events to occur. We demonstrate that in most cases the limiting factor is intensity of vertical stratification combined with light availabilityTOULOUSE3-BU Sciences (315552104) / SudocSudocFranceF

LISA AIVT Optical Ground Support Equipement technology developments

International audienceThe LISA space interferometer aims at GW detection with »3x10-20/√Hz strain sensitivity, resulting in a displacement sensitivity of 11pm/√Hz over a path length of 2.5x109 m in the frequency range from 3x10-5 to 1 Hz.The LISA France Collaboration is in charge of the ground optical tests of the MOSA (Moving Optical Sub-Assembly), including the Optical Bench, Telescope and Gravitational Reference Sensor. Special check-out equipment is required, such as the Far-Field Optical Ground Support Equipment aiming at measuring the Tilt-To-Length coupling coefficient between angular residual beam jitter and longitudinal path length. The FF-OGSE simulates the incoming jittering beam and measures the associated longitudinal path length change.We present two prototypes – the Zerodur InterFerOmeter and the TTL-OB - that will demonstrate the optical performance, the functional tests, the limits on sensitivity and the precision of the path length measurements achievable on-ground. These two benches are the first part of the design and specification for the FF-OGSE.The Stray Light OGSE aims at stray light characterization in the integrated MOSA. It measures and identifies, separately, the different sources of stray light through the measurement of the corresponding fringe patterns while scanning the laser’s optical frequency

LISA AIVT Optical Ground Support Equipement technology developments

International audienceThe LISA space interferometer aims at GW detection with »3x10-20/√Hz strain sensitivity, resulting in a displacement sensitivity of 11pm/√Hz over a path length of 2.5x109 m in the frequency range from 3x10-5 to 1 Hz.The LISA France Collaboration is in charge of the ground optical tests of the MOSA (Moving Optical Sub-Assembly), including the Optical Bench, Telescope and Gravitational Reference Sensor. Special check-out equipment is required, such as the Far-Field Optical Ground Support Equipment aiming at measuring the Tilt-To-Length coupling coefficient between angular residual beam jitter and longitudinal path length. The FF-OGSE simulates the incoming jittering beam and measures the associated longitudinal path length change.We present two prototypes – the Zerodur InterFerOmeter and the TTL-OB - that will demonstrate the optical performance, the functional tests, the limits on sensitivity and the precision of the path length measurements achievable on-ground. These two benches are the first part of the design and specification for the FF-OGSE.The Stray Light OGSE aims at stray light characterization in the integrated MOSA. It measures and identifies, separately, the different sources of stray light through the measurement of the corresponding fringe patterns while scanning the laser’s optical frequency

LISA AIVT Optical Ground Support Equipement technology developments

International audienceThe LISA space interferometer aims at GW detection with »3x10-20/√Hz strain sensitivity, resulting in a displacement sensitivity of 11pm/√Hz over a path length of 2.5x109 m in the frequency range from 3x10-5 to 1 Hz.The LISA France Collaboration is in charge of the ground optical tests of the MOSA (Moving Optical Sub-Assembly), including the Optical Bench, Telescope and Gravitational Reference Sensor. Special check-out equipment is required, such as the Far-Field Optical Ground Support Equipment aiming at measuring the Tilt-To-Length coupling coefficient between angular residual beam jitter and longitudinal path length. The FF-OGSE simulates the incoming jittering beam and measures the associated longitudinal path length change.We present two prototypes – the Zerodur InterFerOmeter and the TTL-OB - that will demonstrate the optical performance, the functional tests, the limits on sensitivity and the precision of the path length measurements achievable on-ground. These two benches are the first part of the design and specification for the FF-OGSE.The Stray Light OGSE aims at stray light characterization in the integrated MOSA. It measures and identifies, separately, the different sources of stray light through the measurement of the corresponding fringe patterns while scanning the laser’s optical frequency

LISA AIVT Optical Ground Support Equipement technology developments

International audienceThe LISA space interferometer aims at GW detection with »3x10-20/√Hz strain sensitivity, resulting in a displacement sensitivity of 11pm/√Hz over a path length of 2.5x109 m in the frequency range from 3x10-5 to 1 Hz.The LISA France Collaboration is in charge of the ground optical tests of the MOSA (Moving Optical Sub-Assembly), including the Optical Bench, Telescope and Gravitational Reference Sensor. Special check-out equipment is required, such as the Far-Field Optical Ground Support Equipment aiming at measuring the Tilt-To-Length coupling coefficient between angular residual beam jitter and longitudinal path length. The FF-OGSE simulates the incoming jittering beam and measures the associated longitudinal path length change.We present two prototypes – the Zerodur InterFerOmeter and the TTL-OB - that will demonstrate the optical performance, the functional tests, the limits on sensitivity and the precision of the path length measurements achievable on-ground. These two benches are the first part of the design and specification for the FF-OGSE.The Stray Light OGSE aims at stray light characterization in the integrated MOSA. It measures and identifies, separately, the different sources of stray light through the measurement of the corresponding fringe patterns while scanning the laser’s optical frequency

LISA AIVT Optical Ground Support Equipement technology developments

International audienceThe LISA space interferometer aims at GW detection with »3x10-20/√Hz strain sensitivity, resulting in a displacement sensitivity of 11pm/√Hz over a path length of 2.5x109 m in the frequency range from 3x10-5 to 1 Hz.The LISA France Collaboration is in charge of the ground optical tests of the MOSA (Moving Optical Sub-Assembly), including the Optical Bench, Telescope and Gravitational Reference Sensor. Special check-out equipment is required, such as the Far-Field Optical Ground Support Equipment aiming at measuring the Tilt-To-Length coupling coefficient between angular residual beam jitter and longitudinal path length. The FF-OGSE simulates the incoming jittering beam and measures the associated longitudinal path length change.We present two prototypes – the Zerodur InterFerOmeter and the TTL-OB - that will demonstrate the optical performance, the functional tests, the limits on sensitivity and the precision of the path length measurements achievable on-ground. These two benches are the first part of the design and specification for the FF-OGSE.The Stray Light OGSE aims at stray light characterization in the integrated MOSA. It measures and identifies, separately, the different sources of stray light through the measurement of the corresponding fringe patterns while scanning the laser’s optical frequency