Simultaneous Remote Measurement of Skin and Sub-skin Temperature for USVs & Buoys

气候变化研究需要了解海洋表面的温度，以估计空气和水之间的热量转移。这个温度被称为皮肤温度，可以比紧邻其下的温度低半摄氏度(约1华氏度)，被称为皮下温度。在实践中，由于目前测量皮肤温度的技术昂贵且复杂，因此使用模型而不是测量皮肤温度。这项技术使用了一种名为红外辐射计的非接触式传感器，可以远程测量来自海洋的热辐射。皮肤温度模型需要测量表面以下的温度(称为亚皮肤温度)才能准确预测皮肤温度。当使用船舶时，可以通过沿表面拖动温度计来测量皮下温度。未来，将在无人机上进行测量，在那里拖着温度计是不现实的。这项研究将利用技术进步和新研究的见解来开发一种仪器，可以测量无人机和浮标的皮肤和皮下温度。目前凉爽皮肤效应的模型为气候研究所需的海洋表面通量提供了足够的皮肤温度精度。然而，只有在使用被称为海蛇的拖曳传感器对非常接近表面的温度进行接触测量的情况下，凉爽的皮肤模型才能达到这种水平。可靠的无人水面车辆(USV)的出现促进了社会各界对需要自动进行准确的流量测量的日益增长的共识。由于从USVs部署海蛇是不切实际的，因此需要一种替代方法来获得非常接近表面的温度(皮下)和/或皮肤温度本身，以确保必要的流量精度。最近的结果表明，从USV获得的皮肤温度的精确红外(IR)测量现在应该是可行的。此外，这些结果表明，结合红外相机和定标的辐射计系统，可以远程提供皮下温度。该项目将开发和测试IRIS(红外原位皮肤和皮下温度)，这是一种创新的基于红外的传感器系统，可以远程同时测量所有天气条件下的皮肤和皮下温度，以便在USV和浮标上进行常规部署。IRIS将是紧凑的，低功耗的，通过利用商业上可获得的传感器的更高的稳定性而具有成本效益，并将提供与当前系统相当的测量精度。该项目将包括与每个预定平台的现有舰载系统进行并排比较。在USV和浮标上的广泛使用将大大增加皮肤和皮下温度测量的数量和覆盖范围。由此产生的对凉爽皮肤和近地表温度分层模型的改进将加强局部海洋研究，如气体转移，解决当前的业务预测优先事项，并改进卫星SST算法开发。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Climate change research requires knowledge of the temperature of the ocean right at the surface to estimate the transfer of heat between the air and the water. This temperature, known as the skin temperature, can be up to a half degree Celsius (about one degree Fahrenheit) cooler than the temperature immediately below, known as the sub-skin temperature. In practice, models rather than measurements of the skin temperature are used since current technology to measure the skin temperature is expensive and complicated. This technology uses a non-contact sensor known as an infrared radiometer that remotely measures the thermal radiation coming from the ocean. The skin temperature model needs a measure of the temperature just below the surface (known as the sub-skin temperature) in order to accurately predict the skin temperature. When a ship is used, the sub-skin temperature can be measured by towing a thermometer along the surface. In the future, measurements will be made from drones, where towing a thermometer is impractical. This research will use technology improvements and insight from new research to develop an instrument that can measure both the skin and sub-skin temperature from drones, as well as from buoys.Current models for the cool skin effect provide adequate skin temperature accuracy for ocean surface fluxes required for climate research. However, this level of performance is achieved only when the cool skin model is initialized with a contact measurement of very near surface temperature using a towed sensor known as a sea snake. The advent of reliable unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) has fostered a growing community consensus for the need to make accurate flux measurements autonomously. Since deployment of a sea snake from USVs is impractical, an alternative means of obtaining very near surface temperature (sub-skin) and/or the skin temperature itself is required to ensure the necessary flux accuracy. Recent results indicates that accurate infrared (IR) measurements of skin temperature from USVs should now be practical. Furthermore, these results show that combining an IR camera with a calibrated radiometer system can provide the sub-skin temperature remotely. This project will develop and test IRISS (InfraRed In situ Skin and Subskin), an innovative IR-based sensor system to remotely and simultaneously measure skin and sub-skin temperature under all weather conditions for routine deployment on USVs and buoys. IRISS will be compact, low-power, and cost effective by exploiting the increased stability of commercially-available sensors and will provide measurements with accuracy comparable to current systems. The project will include side-by-side comparisons with an existing ship-based system for each intended platform. Widespread use on USVs and buoys will greatly increase the number and coverage of skin and sub-skin temperature measurements. The resulting improvements to models for the cool skin and near surface temperature stratification will enhance topical oceanographic research such as gas transfer, address current operational forecast priorities, and improve satellite SST algorithm development.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.