Measuring ocean turbulence under extreme storm conditions using helicopter-deployed ocean gliders

Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, with dire socioeconomic impacts for coastal communities. Efforts to improve forecasts of storms are impeded by a lack of ocean mixing observations under extreme storm conditions. Observations, while risky, are necessary to develop accurate parameterizations of storm-driven ocean mixing. Extreme storms, like tropical cyclones, create conditions that exceed operational safety thresholds for crewed oceanographic research vessels, making uncrewed vehicles, like ocean gliders, a more sensible measurement platform. While uncrewed gliders remove the risk to humans, they must still be deployed at the right place and at the right time. Storm systems can develop and change quickly, requiring a fast, flexible and adaptable deployment strategy. Slow-moving research vessels, which must also seek shelter from approaching storms, are ill-suited for this task. Civil helicopter aviation companies currently serve the offshore energy segment, ferrying crews and equipment between shore-based airfields and offshore infrastructure. Here, we explore the use of helicopters for the deployment of ocean gliders in the paths of extreme storm systems. While helicopters have the speed and flexibility required for rapid, on-demand glider deployments, these activities are far from routine, requiring the development of deployment strategies that ensure the safety of the aircraft and flight crew as well as the safe deployment of the sensitive microstructure sensors required to measure ocean turbulence and mixing. We report on initial collaborations with the aviation industry and the development of procedures to deploy and retrieve ocean gliders from helicopters.