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An evaluation of an unattended current and temperature profiler for deep lakes
Author(s) -
Hamblin P. F.,
Kuehnel R.
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
limnology and oceanography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.7
H-Index - 197
eISSN - 1939-5590
pISSN - 0024-3590
DOI - 10.4319/lo.1980.25.6.1128
Subject(s) - current (fluid) , environmental science , remote sensing , current meter , acoustic doppler current profiler , temporal resolution , term (time) , meteorology , geodesy , geology , oceanography , physics , optics , quantum mechanics
A system is described for the long term unattended measurement of profiles of horizontal current and temperature at high vertical resolution in a deep lake. Current is measured by a sensitive probe based on differences in the time of flight of acoustic pulses. The reference velocity for the sensor is established from both laboratory and in situ data. Techniques for correcting the temperature‐dependent gain of the sensor and for correcting the current for vehicle motion are outlined. Profiler data are compared with standard limnological data collected over two periods of 6 weeks each in a deep, fjordlike lake; on the basis of these results the threshold speed of the profiler is estimated to be 2 cm·s −1 with a resolution of ±2.0 cm·s −1 rms. Data from the instrument illustrate the short term variability of the velocity structure in lakes.