Deep NINJA
It can observe the deep ocean up to 4,000 m depth automatically and globally.
It is the first deep float developed by JAMSTEC and Tsurumi-Seiki Co. Ltd.
Project Abstract
Importance of deep ocean observations by deep floats and Deep NINJA
The importance of deep ocean observations has been gradually recogni zed to understand oceanic effects on anthropogenic climate change accurately, especially the oceanic heat content and th e sea level rise. To make such observations, deep floats are among the most suitable devices to observe deep ocean at re asonable cost and a monitoring network with numerous such deep floats, "Deep Argo", is urgently needed. Until recently, there were no such floats available for waters below 2,000 m in depth, but now a number of international universities, i nstitutes, and float makers are developing such deep floats.The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JA MSTEC) and Tsurumi-Seiki Co., Ltd. (TSK) began work on the development of a deep float in 2010, and ultimately succeeded with "Deep NINJA" in April 2013. Deep NINJA is capable of observing the ocean at depths up to 4,000 m global ly, except for those seas that are covered by ice throughout the year. Figure 2 shows a schematic view of a Deep NINJA f loat in operation in the ocean alongside a normal (Argo) float.
Deep ocean observations by Deep NINJA floats operated by JAMSTEC
To date, JAMSTEC has deployed 14 Deep NINJA floats (including two pr ototypes) in collaboration with TSK, primarily in the Southern Ocean. As of July 25, 2014, these floats have/had continu ed to operate well and have observed more than 190 oceanic profiles. Notably, one Deep NINJA float (S/N 6) deployed off the Adelie Coast of Antarctica measured deep profiles under sea ice throughout an Antarctic winter and continued to obse rve seasonal changes of the deep/bottom waters for more than one year.This website introduces the Deep NINJA float itsel f and provides listings of the Deep NINJA observations. These include the d ates and locations of float deployments and observation parameters such as observation cycle and profile depth. Addition ally, there are several figures showing observation results, such as float movement trajectories, temporal changes of te mperature and salinity profiles as measured by the floats.
 Figure 1:Deep NINJA |
Specifications of Deep NINJA
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Figure 2:Schematic overview of a Deep NINJA observation float in operation alongside an Argo float.
Figure 3:Deployment of the first DeepNINJA from R/V Wakataka-maru in August 2012.
Figure 4:Deployment of Deep NINJA offthe Adelie Coast, Antarctica, from R/V Mirai in December 2012.
Data
Release of scientifically quality-controlled data of Deep NINJA observations
Observations using Deep NINJA floats are carried out as part of theJapan Argo Project. Herein, we provide a quality-controlled dataset of Deep NINJA observations for convenient use on scientific/educational purposes. The quality-control effort led by JAMSTEC was based primarily on comparisons with highly accurate shipboard conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) observations conducted nearby float observations. For permissionto access this data, please contact us after reviewing and confirming your acceptance of the Terms and Conditions provided below.
All raw and officially quality-controlled data of the Deep NINJA observations are expected to be made available to the public via the Argo Global Data Assembly Centers (GDACs) in the near future, probably under the same framework as International Argo. Note that the (raw) measurements of Deep NINJA still include some issues that need to be resolved and examined on their quality as follows:
- The Deep NINJA CTD sensor, which is the current standard model for deep floats, wasdeveloped originally for "Argo floats," which operate in water depths shallower than 2,000 m. Its performance under high pressure in deep ocean waters has not been examined sufficiently.
- Temperature and salinity measurements of the CTD sensor have a bias that depends on pressure. JAMSTEC has found that the salinity measurements of Deep NINJA tend to be fresher at higher pressure.
Terms and Conditions
The copyrights for the quality-controlled data of Deep NINJA floats belong exclusively to JAMSTEC.
- The usage of the data is allowed for scientific and/or educational purposes only.
- JAMSTEC endoavors to make the data scientifically accurate, but JAMSTEC shall not be held liable for any loss, damage, and problems arising as a result of the use of the data.
- It is forbidden to manipulate, redistribute, deliver, or sell the data to any third party.
- The daa may be changed without notice.
contact: 
Inventory Data
| Serial No. | Date for deployment | Area for deployment | Position for deployment | Deploy ship name / cruise | Cycle [day] | Parking depth [dbar] | Profile depth(s) [dbar] | Number of profiles (that of deep profiles) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1* | 2012/8/29 | Subarctic, North Pacific | 40° 40.00 N, 144°46.18 E | Wakataka-maru WK1208 | 5 | 1000 | 4000 | 1 (1) | Dead (failure at communication unit?) |
| 2* | 2012/8/29 | Subarctic, North Pacific | 40° 40.00 N, 144°46.18 E | Wakataka-maru WK1208 | 10 | 1000 | 2000/4000 | 21 (16) | Dead (Energy consumption?) |
| 3 | 2012/12/19 | Off the Adelie Coast, Antarctica | 60° 00.62 S, 139°56.12 E | Mirai MR12-05 | 15 | 2000 | 4000 | 15 (9) | Dead (unknown) |
| 4 | 2012/12/5 | South of NZ, Southern Ocean | 56° 59.87 S, 173°59.31 E | Mirai MR12-05 | 15 | 2000 | 2000/4000 | 50 (25) | Dead (energy consumption?) |
| 5 | 2012/12/17 | Off the Adelie Coast, Antarctica | 62° 00.38 S, 137°00.42 E | Mirai MR12-05 | 30 | 2000 | 4000 | 14 (10) | Dead (accident at sea ice?) |
| 6 | 2012/12/16 | Off the Adelie Coast, Antarctica | 62° 45.73 S, 143°36.05 E | Mirai MR12-05 | 30 | 2000 | 4000 | 27 (23) | Dead (accident at sea ice?) |
| 7 | 2013/7/17 | Subtropcal, North Pacific | 30° 03.91 N, 144°58.09 E | Mirai MR13-04 | 10 | 3000 | 4000 | 33 (33) | Dead (energy consumption?) |
| 8 | 2014/3/6 | Off the Adelie Coast, Antarctica | 63°40.55 S 148°35.65 E | Shirase JARE55 | 20 | 3000 | 4000 | 3 (3) | Dead (accident at sea ice?) |
| 9 | 2014/3/7 | Off the Adelie Coast, Antarctica | 59° 14.34 S, 150°08.85 E | Shirase JARE55 | 20 | 2500 | 4000 | 23 (23) | Dead (unknown) |
| 10 | 2014/1/23 | Off the Budd Coast, Antarctica | 62° 55.0659 S, 109°59.8474 E | Umitaka-maru UM041 | 20 | 2000 | 4000 | 0 (0) | Dead (unknown) |
| 11 | 2014/1/19 | Off the Budd Coast, Antarctica | 60° 03.4988 S, 109°53.3204 E | Umitaka-maru UM041 | 20 | 3500 | 4000 | 10 (10) | Dead (accident at sea ice?) |
| 12 | 2014/1/22 | Off the Budd Coast, Antarctica | 62° 00.4176 S, 110°00.1893 E | Umitaka-maru UM041 | 20 | 3500 | 4000 | 5 (5) | Dead (accident at sea ice?) |
| 13 | 2014/1/27 | Off the Budd Coast, Antarctica | 64° 15.8987 S, 107°41.9985 E | Umitaka-maru UM041 | 20 | 3000 | 4000 | 24 (24) | Dead (accident at sea ice?) |
| 14 | 2014/1/24 | Off the Budd Coast, Antarctica | 64° 05.3637 S, 109°51.0107 E | Umitaka-maru UM041 | 20 | 3000 | 4000 | 40 (40) | Dead (energy consumption?) |
| 15 | 2014/12/6 | Off the Budd Coast, Antarctica | 59° 59.96 S, 109°51.92 E | Shirase JARE56 | 20 | 3500 | 4000 | 44 (44) | Dead (energy consumption?) |
| 16 | 2016/1/31 | Western Indian Ocean | 29°59.98S 52°32.01E | Hakuho-maru KH-16-1 | 30 | 2000 | 4000 | 18 (18) | Dead (unknown) |
| 17 | 2016/2/2 | Western Indian Ocean | 40°41.49S 45°54.43E | Hakuho-maru KH-16-1 | 30 | 2000 | 4000 | 76 (76) | Dead (Energy consumption?) |
| 18 | 2016/3/2 | Subtropical, North Pacific | 29°56.31N 147°27.26E | Ryofu-maru 1602 | 30 | 2000 | 4000 | 18 (18) | Dead (unknown) |
| 20 | 2017/2/19 | South Pacific, Southern Ocean | 60°58.01S 125°59.98E | Mirai MR16-09 | 10 | 2000 | 4000 | 5 (5) | Dead (unknown) |
| 21 | 2017/7/10 | North Pacific | 47°0.108N 154°59.406W | Hakuhomaru KH-17-3 | 10 | 2000 | 4000 | 3 (3) | Dead (unknown) |
| 22 | 2018/2/3 | Off the Adelie Coast, Antarctica | 65°0.036S 145°30.108E | INVESTIGATOR | 20 | 2000 | 4000 | 78 (78) | Active |
| 23 | 2017/7/23 | North Pacific | 47°0.012N 160°1.332E | Mirai MR17-04 | 10 | 2000 | 4000 | 9 (9) | Dead (unknown) |
| 24 | 2018/1/29 | Off the Adelie Coast, Antarctica | 63°21.312S 139°49.830E | INVESTIGATOR | 20 | 1000 | 4000 | 17 (17) | Dead (unknown) |
| 25 | 2018/2/5 | Off the Adelie Coast, Antarctica | 63°30.156S 149°59.838E | INVESTIGATOR | 20 | 2000 | 4000 | 15 (15) | Dead (unknown) |
| 26 | 2017/12/1 | North Indian Ocean | 5°3.582S 95°2.712E | Mirai MR17-08 | 10 | 2000 | 4000 | 11 (11) | Dead (unknown) |
| 27 | 2018/12/30 | Eastern Pacific Ocean | 9°57.852S 130°0.420E | Mirai MR18-06 | 30 | 2000 | 4000 | 29 (29) | Dead (unknown) |
| 29 | 2020/01/27 | Off the Adelie Coast, Antarctica | 63°0.048S 115°0.192E | Umitakamaru UM059 | 20 | 2000 | 4000 | 53 (53) | Active |
| 30 | 2019/01/10 | Off the Adelie Coast, Antarctica | 60°59.976S 110°0.018E | Umitakamaru UM056 | 30 | 2000 | 4000 | 14 (14) | Dead (unknown) |
| 31 | 2018/12/29 | Off the Adelie Coast, Antarctica | 62°59.400S 112°14.898E | Kaiyomaru 201801 | 10 | 2000 | 4000 | 0 (0) | Dead (unknown) |
| 32 | 2023/02/06 | Off Cape Darnley, Antarctica | 65°17.640S 66°12.420E | INVESTIGATOR | 10 | 2000 | 4000 | 1 (1) | Active |
| *:Prototype | As of Feb. 16, 2023 | ||||||||
