Nansen bottle

Nansen bottle
Name	Nansen bottle
Caption	Early oceanographic sampling device
Inventor	Fridtjof Nansen
Developed in	Norway
Introduced	1910s
Used by	Discovery Investigations, United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, Royal Navy, Sverdrup, Johnson and Fleming expedition
Related	CTD (instrument), Rosette sampler, Reversing thermometer

Nansen bottle The Nansen bottle is a historic oceanographic water-sampling device developed in the early 20th century to collect discrete water samples and temperature readings from the Atlantic Ocean, Arctic Ocean, and other seas during scientific expeditions. It played a central role in major campaigns led by figures and institutions such as Fridtjof Nansen, Sir John Murray, Sir Alister Hardy, and the Discovery Investigations, enabling systematic studies by teams from the Royal Society, the Norwegian Polar Institute, and the United States Navy. The instrument bridged earlier oceanography work by Matthew Fontaine Maury and later technological advances culminating in modern systems used by Sverdrup, Johnson and Fleming and national hydrographic services like the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey.

History

The concept emerged from the polar research era associated with explorers including Fridtjof Nansen and contemporaries such as Roald Amundsen, Robert Falcon Scott, and scientists linked to institutions like the Royal Society and the Norwegian Polar Institute. Early tests coincided with voyages of research vessels like RMS Discovery and expeditions organized by Sir John Murray and Sir Alister Hardy. The device became standardized through adoption by survey agencies including the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey and fleets such as the Royal Navy and commercial research programs of the Sverdrup, Johnson and Fleming expedition. Its operational history intersected with international projects—International Geophysical Year planning, collaborative mapping by the Hydrographic Office (United Kingdom), and polar campaigns supported by the Scott Polar Research Institute.

Design and components

A typical assembly consisted of multiple cylindrical, weighted bottles made of materials used in shipboard science of the era and instruments common to laboratories associated with Kiel University, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Components included robust closing mechanisms adapted by engineers from shipyards supplying the Royal Navy and materials sourced through industrial centers like Manchester and Bremen. The instrument carried reversing thermometers influenced by metrology standards from institutions such as the National Physical Laboratory and calibration labs at the U.S. Naval Observatory. Ancillary gear mirrored equipment used by hydrographic services including winches and cable reels manufactured in ports like Liverpool and Le Havre.

Operation and deployment

Nansen bottles were deployed from research vessels and survey ships including RRS Discovery, USS Albatross, and other platforms operated by organizations like the Discovery Investigations, the United States Geological Survey, and the Royal Navy Hydrographic Department. Deployment relied on techniques refined during expeditions led by figures such as Vilhelm Bjerknes and institutions like the Scott Polar Research Institute. Crews from universities including University of Cambridge, University of Oslo, and Columbia University operated winches and used standard procedures aligning with protocols from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. Recovery sequences were coordinated with navigational fixes from the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey and charting by the Hydrographic Office (United Kingdom).

Data collected and instrumentation

The bottle sampled discrete volumes used to determine salinity, chemical constituents, and biological content analyzed in laboratories at centers such as Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory, and university departments at University of Oslo and University of Bergen. Temperature data came from reversing thermometers maintained to standards set by the National Physical Laboratory and compared with measurements from modern instruments developed at places like Woods Hole and Scripps. Results contributed to large-scale syntheses by organizations including the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, the International Geophysical Year archives, and national oceanographic programs of the United States Navy and Norwegian Polar Institute. Chemical analyses involved laboratories connected to the Royal Society and academic chemists trained at institutions such as UCL and ETH Zurich.

Variants and successors

Variants evolved through design work in shipyards and laboratories linked to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and European centers like IFREMER and Institut für Meereskunde Kiel. Successor technologies include the Rosette sampler, CTD (instrument), and autonomous profilers developed by teams at MBARI, WHOI, and manufacturers supplying the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Field practices migrated into programs run by agencies such as the United States Geological Survey, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, and national hydrographic services in Norway and the United Kingdom. Retrofitting efforts often referenced work by engineers from General Dynamics and academic collaborations with MIT and Imperial College London.

Impact and legacy

The Nansen bottle contributed foundational datasets used in ocean circulation studies advanced by scientists like Vagn Walfrid Ekman, Vilhelm Bjerknes, and Henry Stommel, and underpinned early models developed at institutions such as Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory and Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Its role influenced protocols adopted by the IOC and informed training curricula at universities including University of Cambridge, University of Edinburgh, and University of Oslo. Museum collections and archives at the Scott Polar Research Institute, Natural History Museum, London, and Smithsonian Institution preserve examples and logs from voyages like those of RRS Discovery and USS Albatross, providing material for historians associated with the Royal Geographical Society and scholars from Columbia University. The instrument’s evolution into modern samplers reflects broader technological shifts documented by agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Category:Oceanographic instruments