Current Science

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Initial set of oceanographic data from Bay of Bengal using an underwater glider as mobile sensor node


Affiliations
1 College of Engineering, Guindy Campus, Anna University, Chennai 600 025, India
2 National Institute of Ocean Technology, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Pallikaranai, Chennai 600 100, India
 

Underwater gliders measure high-resolution spatiotemporal oceanographic data. However, glider operations have not been carried out in the Indian Ocean region so far. In September 2013, the National Institute of Ocean Technology, Chennai introduced a mobile sensor node, the underwater glider ‘Barathi’, for observation in the Bay of Bengal (BoB). Herein we address ballasting procedure of the glider operated in highly variable density waters of the BoB. The temperature and conductivity data collected by us are strongly correlated with commercially available instrument with coefficient of determination R2 > 0.97. This article reports results from a long-duration (127 days) mission in 2014. The variation of temperature, salinity, density, sound velocity, mixed layer depth, sonic layer depth and lower cutoff frequency of surface duct along 13°N lat. and between 80.76°E and 86.28°E long. are also presented. The results show a trace of the East Indian Coastal Current. The glider operations demonstrate a novel in situ observation platform in the BoB.

Keywords

Mobile sensor node, oceanographic data, underwater glider, underwater acoustics.
User
Notifications
Font Size

  • http://www.nio.org/index/option/com_nomenu/task/show/tid/2/sid/18/id/5 (accessed on 6 October 2014).

  • Venkatesan, R., Shamji, V. R., Latha, G., Simi Mathew, Rao, R. R., Arul Muthiah, M. and Atmanand, M. A., In situ ocean subsurface time-series measurements from OMNI buoy network in the Bay of Bengal. Curr. Sci., 2013, 104(9), 1166–1177.

  • Venkatesan, R. et al., Signatures of very severe cyclonic storm Phailin in met–ocean parameters observed by moored buoy network in the Bay of Bengal. Curr. Sci., 2014, 107(4), 589–595.

  • McPhaden, M. J. et al., RAMA: The research moored array for African–Asian–Australian monsoon analysis and prediction. Bull.Am. Meteorol. Soc., 2009, 90, 459–480.

  • http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/phod/goos/xbtscience/ (accessed on 6 October 2014).

  • Kent, E., Ball, G., Berry, D., Fletcher, J., North, S. and Woodruff, S., The Voluntary Observing Ship (VOS) scheme. In Proceedings of Ocean Obs’09: Sustained Ocean Observations and Information for Society Conference, Venice, Italy, ESA Publication, 2009,WPP-306; doi:10.5270/OceanObs09.cwp.48.

  • http://www.incois.gov.in/argo/argo.jsp (accessed on 6 October 2014).

  • Zuidema, P., Convective clouds over the Bay of Bengal. Mon.Wea. Rev., 2003, 131, 780–798.

  • Webster, P. J. et al., The JASMINE pilot study. Bull. Am. Meteorol.Soc., 2002, 83, 1603–1630.

  • Shenoi, S. S. C., Intra-seasonal variability of the coastal currents around India: a review of the evidences from new observations. Indian J. Mar. Sci., 2010, 39(4), 489–496.

  • http://www.ioos.noaa.gov/glider/welcome.html (accessed on 6 October 2014).

  • Stommel, H., The Slocum mission. Oceanography, 1989, 2, 22–25.

  • Bachmayer, R., Leonard, N. E., Graver, J., Fiorelli, E., Battha, P. and Palley, D., Underwater gliders: recent developments and future applications. In Proceeding of IEEE International Symposium on Underwater Technology, Taipei, Taiwan, 2004.

  • Rudnick, D. L., Davies, R. E., Eriksen, C. C., Fratantoni, D. M. andPerry, M. J., Underwater gliders for ocean research. J. Mar.Technol. Soc., 2004, 38, 73–84.

  • Testor, P. et al., Gliders as a component of future observing systems. In Proceedings of the Ocean Obs’09: Sustained Ocean Observations and Information for Society Conference, Venice, Italy, 2009.

  • http://www.webbresearch.com/pdf/SlocumGlider.pdf (accessed on 6 October 2014).

  • http://auvac.org/uploads/configuration_spec_sheets/Slocum%20-Endurance%202009.pdf (accessed on 8 August 2014).

  • http://www.webbresearch.com/pdf/EurekaMoment.pdf (accessed 27 June 2014).

  • Glenn, S., The Trans-Atlantic Slocum glider expeditions: a catalyst for undergraduate participation in ocean science and technology.Mar. Technol. Soc. J., 2011, 45(1), 52–67.

  • https://datahost.webbresearch.com/files.php?cwd=/glider/production/doco/MANUAL (accessed on 27 June 2014).

  • Davis, R. E., Eriksen, C. C. and Jones, C. P., Technology and applications of autonomous underwater vehicles. In Technology and Applications of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (ed. Griffiths,G.), Taylor and Francis, London, 2003, pp. 37–58.

  • Webb, D. C., Simonetti, P. J. and Jones, C. P., SLOCUM: An underwater glider propelled by environmental energy. IEEE J. Ocean Eng., 2001, 26(4), 447–452.

  • Eriksen, C. C. et al., Sea glider: a long-range autonomous underwater vehicle for oceanographic research. IEEE J. Ocean. Eng., 2001, 26(4), 424–436.

  • http://www.acsa-alcen.com/sites/acsa-alcen.com/files/datasheet/acsa_seaexplorer_datasheet.pdf (accessed on 6 February 2015).

  • http://auvac.org/uploads/platform_pdf/Bluefin-Spray-Glider-Product-Sheet.pdf (accessed on 6 February 2015).

  • Sherman, J., Davis, R., Owens, W. B. and Valdes, J., The autonomous underwater glider ‘Spray’. IEEE J. Ocean. Eng., 2001,26(4), 437–446.

  • Roemmich, D. et al., Integrating the ocean observing system: mobile platforms. In Proceedings of the Ocean Obs’09: Sustained Ocean Observations and Information for Society Conference,Venice, Italy, 2009.

  • http://www.ioos.noaa.gov/observing/observing_assets/glider_asset_map.html (accessed on 6 February 2015).

  • http://marine.rutgers.edu/cool/auvs/ (accessed on 6 February 2015).

  • http://www.incois.gov.in/portal/datainfo/insituhome.jsp (accessed on 6 February 2015).

  • Ravichandran, M., Vinayachandran, P. N., Sudheer, J. and Radhakrishnan, K., Results from first ARGO float deployed by India. Curr. Sci., 2004, 86(5), 651–659.

  • http://www.jamstec.go.jp/ARGO/argo-web/results/system_building/deployment/weight_adjustment/TR-ballasting2.pdf (accessed on 1 May 2015).

  • Kobayahi, T. et al., Quality control of Argo Data Based on high quality climatological dataset (HydroBase) I; http://www.jamstec.go.jp/ARGO/argo_web/results/data_management/management/quality_control_1/Quality_control.pdf (accessed on 19 January 2015).

  • Shankar, D., McCreary, J. P., Han, W. and Shetye, S. R., Dynamics of the East India Coastal Current: 1. Analytic solutions forced by interior Ekman pumping and local alongshore winds. J. Geophys.Res. C6, 1996, 101, 13975–13991.

  • Varkey, M. J., Murty, V. S. N. and Suryanarayana, A., Physical oceanography of the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea. In Oceanography and Marine Biology: Annual Review (eds Ansell, A. D.,Gibson, R. N. and Barnes, M.), UCL Press, London, UK, 1996,vol. 34, pp. 1–70.

  • Murty, V. S. N., Sarma, Y. V. B., Babu, M. T. and Rao, D. P., Hydrography and circulation in the northwestern Bay of Bengal during the retreat of southwest monsoon. Proc. Indian Acad. Sci.(Earth Planet. Sci.), 1992, 101, 67–75.

  • Vinayachandran, P. N. and Kurian, J., Modeling of Bengal Fresh Plume and Arabian Sea Mini Warm Pool. In Proceedings of the 12th Asian Congress of Fluid Mechanics, Daejeon, Korea, 2008, pp. 1–5.

  • Vinayachandran P. N. and Kurian, J., Hydrographic observations and model simulations of the Bay of Bengal freshwater plume.Deep Sea Res. I, 2007, 54, 471–486.

  • Sengupta, D. and Ravichandran, M., Oscillations of Bay of Bengal sea surface temperature during the 1998 summer monsoon. Geophys.Res. Lett., 2001, 28(10), 2033–2036.

  • Vinayachandran, P. N., Neema, C. P., Simi, M. and Remya, R., Mechanisms of summer intraseasonal sea surface temperature oscillations in the Bay of Bengal. J. Geophys. Res., 2012, 117, C01005.

  • http://las.incois.gov.in/las/UI.vm (accessed on 4 March 2014).

  • Millero, F. J. and Huang, F., The density of seawater as a function of salinity (5 to 70 g kg–1) and temperature (273.15 to 363.15 K). Ocean Sci., 2009, 5, 91–100.

  • Frank, J. M. and Alain, P., International one-atmosphere equation of state of seawater. Deep-Sea Res., 1981, 28(6), 625–629.

  • www.TEOS-10.org (accessed on 4 March 2014).

  • http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/argo/floats_data.htm (accessed on 4 March 2014).

  • Bansal, R. K., Fluid Mechaics, Laxmi Publications (P) Ltd, New Delhi, 2008, pp. 137–138.

  • Som, S. K. and Biswas, G., In Introduction to Fluid Mechanics and Fluid Machines, Tata McGraw-Hill, New Delhi, 1998, pp. 46–52.

  • Ohno, Y., Kobayashi, T., Iwasaka, N. and Suga, T., The mixed layer depth in the North Pacific as detected by the Argo floats.Geophys. Res. Lett., 2004, L11306.

  • Udaya, B., T. V. S., Swain, D. and Ravichandran, M., Inferring mixed-layer depth variability from Argo observations in the western Indian Ocean. J. Mar. Res., 2006, 64, 393–406.

  • Fofonoff, P. and Millard Jr, R. C., Algorithms for computation of fundamental properties of seawater. UNESCO Technical Papers in Marine Science, 1983, vol. 44, pp. 46–49.

  • Etter, C. P., Underwater Acoustic Modelling: Principles, Techniques and Applications, E&FN Spon, London, 1996, 2nd edn, pp. 82–83.

  • Jain, S., Ali, M. M. and Sen, P. N., Estimation of sonic layer depth from surface parameters. Geophys. Res. Lett., 2007, 34, L17602.

  • Urick, R. J., Principles of Underwater Sound, McGraw-Hill, New York, USA, 1983, 3rd edn, p. 423.

  • http://earth.nullschool.net/ (accessed on 6 October 2014).

  • http://ferret.pmel.noaa.gov/Ferret/LAS/home/ (accessed on 6 October 2014).

  • Shetye, S. R., Shenoi, S. S. C., Gouveia, A. D., Michael, G. S., Sundar, D. and Nampoothiri, G., Wind-driven coastal upwelling along the western boundary of the Bay of Bengal during the southwest monsoon. Cont. Shelf Res., 1991, 11, 1397–1408.


Abstract Views: 292

PDF Views: 121




  • Initial set of oceanographic data from Bay of Bengal using an underwater glider as mobile sensor node

Abstract Views: 292  |  PDF Views: 121

Authors

Shijo Zacharia
College of Engineering, Guindy Campus, Anna University, Chennai 600 025, India
R. Seshasayanan
College of Engineering, Guindy Campus, Anna University, Chennai 600 025, India
V. Gowthaman
National Institute of Ocean Technology, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Pallikaranai, Chennai 600 100, India
S. Muthukumaravel
National Institute of Ocean Technology, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Pallikaranai, Chennai 600 100, India
Tata Sudhakar
National Institute of Ocean Technology, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Pallikaranai, Chennai 600 100, India
M. A. Atmanand
National Institute of Ocean Technology, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Pallikaranai, Chennai 600 100, India

Abstract


Underwater gliders measure high-resolution spatiotemporal oceanographic data. However, glider operations have not been carried out in the Indian Ocean region so far. In September 2013, the National Institute of Ocean Technology, Chennai introduced a mobile sensor node, the underwater glider ‘Barathi’, for observation in the Bay of Bengal (BoB). Herein we address ballasting procedure of the glider operated in highly variable density waters of the BoB. The temperature and conductivity data collected by us are strongly correlated with commercially available instrument with coefficient of determination R2 > 0.97. This article reports results from a long-duration (127 days) mission in 2014. The variation of temperature, salinity, density, sound velocity, mixed layer depth, sonic layer depth and lower cutoff frequency of surface duct along 13°N lat. and between 80.76°E and 86.28°E long. are also presented. The results show a trace of the East Indian Coastal Current. The glider operations demonstrate a novel in situ observation platform in the BoB.

Keywords


Mobile sensor node, oceanographic data, underwater glider, underwater acoustics.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv109%2Fi5%2F918-929