Reconfiguration of Webb-style Gliders for Routine Turbulence Measurements
Abstract
The long-term goal of this program is to understand the physics of small-scale oceanic processes including internal waves, hydraulics, turbulence and microstructure that act to perturb and control the circulation in coastal oceans and, in doing so, affect the propagation of sound and light. Ongoing studies within the Ocean Mixing Group at OSU emphasize observations, interaction with turbulence modelers and an aggressive program of sensor / instrumentation development and integration. This includes extending measurements to new platforms such as gliders so that we can make continued measurements where ships cannot go (or when they cannot be there, such as during periods of extreme surface forcing). OBJECTIVES Gliders offer a means of making two very valuable types of relatively autonomous measurements in the ocean. The first is the type of repeated routine observation that permits establishment of a climatology from which significant deviations can be identified and addressed. The second is the observation of extreme events (such as hurricanes) that cannot be made from ships. Over the past 20 years, we have established standards of ocean turbulence measurements and have extended our shipbased vertical and horizontal profiling packages to moored mixing measurements. It has been a natural evolution to use this expertise to integrate new sensors into gliders that will both begin to define climatologies of mixing in coastal waters and lead to turbulence measurements in events such as hurricanes and typhoons, for which we have limited or no observation. In particular, the mechanical design of the Webb Research glider is robust and proven. The prospects for measuring turbulence and surface waves on these gliders have been recently tested by us by strapping a turbulence / motion-sensing package to both OSU and Rutgers gliders.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2010
- Accession Number
- ADA542389
Entities
People
- James N. Moum
- Jonathan D. Nash
- R. K. Shearman
Organizations
- Oregon State University