Development of a cheap, GPS-based, radio-tracked, surface drifter for closed shallow-water bays

Author

Perez, John C. ; Bonner, James ; Kelly, F.I. ; Fuller, Chris

Author_Institution

Conrad Blucher Inst. for Surveying & Sci., Texas A&M Univ., Corpus Christi, TX, USA

fYear

2003

fDate

13-15 March 2003

Firstpage

66

Lastpage

69

Abstract

This paper describes the development of an inexpensive (∼$500), GPS-based, radio-tracked, surface-drifter system designed to operate within a closed shallow water bay. Texas bays and estuaries are generally shallow, weather/event driven, complex non-linear systems. In spite of the amount of activity that occurs within the bays, very little real-time information is collected. The Conrad Blucher Institute for Surveying and Science (CBI) at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi is working toward better understanding of these bays by operating a pair of SeaSonde™ HF Radar units within Corpus Christi Bay. This experience has shown the need for a specialized drifter that can be used in conjunction with the HF Radar operation and other bay research activities.

Keywords

Global Positioning System; oceanographic equipment; oceanographic techniques; radio tracking; seawater; Corpus Christi Bay; GPS-based shallow water surface drifter system; SeaSonde^™ HF Radar operation; complex nonlinear systems; radio-tracked shallow water surface drifter system; real-time information; shallow water bay; Batteries; Costs; Energy consumption; Global Positioning System; Hafnium; Microprocessors; Radar; Sea surface; Sleep; Voltage;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Current Measurement Technology, 2003. Proceedings of the IEEE/OES Seventh Working Conference on

Print_ISBN

0-7803-7813-X

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/CCM.2003.1194285

Filename

1194285