High Precision Frequent Tracking of Drifters Using Commercially Available Global Positioning System (GPS) Components.

Abstract

The goal of this project is to develop a suite of instruments able to quantitatively measure surface parcel displacement and dispersion in the coastal zone with an accuracy of 1.5 to 2 orders of magnitude better than those obtained using Argos or single-station GPS. The specific objective of this work is to instrument a low cost surface drifter of proven design having minimal windage, with tracking capability able to generate descriptions of surface parcel trajectories over distances of tens of kilometers and times of several days with individual drifter positions reported every few seconds with an absolute accuracy of a few meters relative to a fixed ground-based station.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 1997
Accession Number
ADA325884

Entities

People

  • Clinton D. Winant
  • Douglas J. Alden
  • Myrl C. Hendershott

Organizations

  • Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accuracy
  • Application Software
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Computers
  • Department Of Defense
  • Deployment
  • Doppler Effect
  • Electronics
  • Frequency
  • Global Positioning Systems
  • Laptop Computers
  • Measurement
  • Military Research
  • Navigation
  • Operating Systems
  • Sea Surface Temperature
  • Surface Temperature

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Modeling, Data Assimilation, and Flux Boundary Layers
  • Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) Technology.

Technology Areas

  • Space