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传递。 该温度称为皮肤温度，可以比下面的温度（称为皮下温度）低半摄氏度（约一华氏度）。在实践中，使用模型而不是皮肤温度的测量，因为测量皮肤温度的当前技术昂贵且复杂。 这项技术使用一种称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（称为皮下温度），以便准确预测皮肤温度。 当使用船时，可以通过沿着表面拖曳温度计来测量皮下温度。 在未来，测量将从无人机上进行，在那里拖着温度计是不切实际的。 这项研究将利用新研究的技术改进和见解，开发一种可以测量无人机和浮标的皮肤和皮下温度的仪器。目前的冷皮肤效应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，只有当使用被称为海蛇的拖曳式传感器通过接触测量非常接近的表面温度来初始化冷皮肤模型时，才能实现这种性能水平。 可靠的无人水面航行器（USV）的出现，促进了社会共识，需要进行精确的流量测量自主。 由于从USV部署海蛇是不切实际的，因此需要获得非常接近表面温度（皮下）和/或皮肤温度本身的替代手段，以确保必要的通量精度。 最近的结果表明，精确的红外（IR）测量皮肤温度从USV现在应该是实用的。 此外，这些结果表明，结合红外相机与校准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IRISS（红色原位皮肤和皮下），这是一种创新的基于红外线的传感器系统，可在所有天气条件下远程同时测量皮肤和皮下温度，用于USV和浮标的常规部署。IRISS将是紧凑的，低功耗，并通过利用商业传感器的稳定性提高成本效益，并将提供与当前系统相当的精度测量。 该项目将包括与每个预定平台的现有船基系统进行并排比较。 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。 由此产生的改进模型的冷皮肤和近地表温度分层将加强专题海洋学研究，如气体传输，解决当前业务预报的优先事项，并提高卫星SST算法的development.This奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得的支持，通过评估使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准。

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.