Airborne Remote Sensing of Surface and Internal Wave Processes of the Inner Shelf
Abstract
ABSTRACT This is a proposal to investigate the role of surface and internal wave processes on the dynamics, transport and mixing in the water column on the inner shelf and their measurement using airborne and autonomous surface platforms. The inner shelf is a region in which a variety of processes can occur across- and along-shelf over times scales from seconds to seasons, and length scales from meters to tens of kilometers or more. Covering these processes of Naval interest in areas that may be inaccessible or denied requires novel methods of measurement. In this project, surface and internal wave processes will be measured over large areas in relatively short times using the Modular Aerial Sensing System (MASS), which includes a scanning lidar, and infrared, hyperspectral and visible imagers on a manned aircraft. The MASS will permit us to measure surface wave processes in great detail and the surface signatures of internal waves that can shoal, break and mix the water column in the inner shelf. Imagery from the MASS can measure surface currents, and an airborne bathymetric lidar will be used to measure the water depth. The option of measuring the details of the lower marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) and the water column are addressed by two instrumented autonomous surface vehicles (Wave Gliders) that include wirewalker CTDs for profiling the water column. The techniques developed and used in the proposed research can be readily transitioned to a combined autonomous airborne and surface vehicle system.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 12, 2016
- Source ID
- N000141512529
Entities
People
- Ken Melville
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of California, San Diego