CDI Type-II: Distributed Ocean Monitoring via Integrated Data Analysis of Coordinated Buoyancy Drogues

海洋学中一个尚未得到满足的需求是以比目前可能的更高分辨率的空间和时间尺度对海洋进行采样。尽管目前的系统导致了许多重要的发现，但海洋学家们会同意，由于采样几何图形的稀疏，许多基本过程目前无法观察到。例子包括用于确定下水道流出物的地下颗粒轨迹的估计、水平和垂直扩散系数的测量以及等轴线的次中尺度涡度和垂直漂移。这些例子需要多功能的准拉格朗日传感器，这些传感器受益于海洋生态系统所依赖的海洋环流产生的相同相互作用。我们提出了一种新颖的海洋观测站系统，该系统基于小型、廉价、浮力控制的水管，能够在海洋环流的剪切层内进行科学数据分析和协调运动控制，以监测营养物质的流动、动物的行为、海岸环流和污染扩散。PI提出的发展分布式拉格朗日传感系统的建议，既可以跟踪海流，也可以感知环境，这是从未有人接近或实现的。拟议的海洋采样移动传感器网络提出了令人兴奋的研究挑战，远远超出了任何特定学科，因为它们需要将吊管的传感和控制方面与针对特定海洋应用而量身定做的数据处理和计算分析相结合。部署在数十公里的沿海地区，由这样的机器人组成的小分队将同时绘制洋流和感知环境。这样的飞行器群提供了在时空尺度上采样海洋过程的机会，而在此之前，在低雷诺数的情况下，海洋过程是无法获得的。由于在水下不会对单个水滴进行跟踪，只有当它们在水面时才会传递探测到的信息，因此我们建议的天文台系统只需要最低限度的辅助基础设施。在该项目下开发的计算工具和算法下，将以当前海洋传感器技术的一小部分成本建造水滴。布罗德影响研究人员建议通过高中、社区研讨会和科学节进行推广。调查人员提到了对多样性的关注。该技术的成功开发和部署将产生具有高度社会相关性的重大影响，与加州海洋科学信托基金的联系将有助于确保成功的知识转让。调查人员还提出了一系列其他更广泛的影响活动，包括课程开发和在当地节日上的展示。

An unanswered need in oceanography is to sample the ocean at higher-resolution spatial and temporal scales than presently possible. Although current systems have led tomany important discoveries, oceanographers would agree that many fundamental processes are presently unobservable due to the sparseness of the sampling geometries. Examples include the estimation of subsurface particle trajectories for ascertaining sewer effluents, the measurement of horizontal and vertical diffusivity, and the submesoscale vorticity and vertical excursions of isopycnals. These examples require versatile, quasi-Lagrangian sensors that profit fromthe same interactions generated by ocean circulation that the oceanographic ecosystemrelies on. We propose an original oceanographic observatory system based on small, inexpensive, buoyancy con- trolled drogues capable of scientific data analysis and coordinated motion control within the shear layers of the ocean circulation to monitor flows of nutrients, behaviors of animals, coastal circulation, and pol- lution dispersion.The PI's propose to developdistributed, Lagrangian sensing systems that can both track currents and sense the environment has never been approached or accomplished. The proposed ocean sampling mobile sensor network pose exciting research challenges that go well beyond any particular discipline, as they require the integration of the sensing and control aspects of the drogues with the data processing and computational analysis tailored to the specific ocean applications. Deployed over coastal areas of tens of kilometers, small armies of such drogues will concurrently map currents and sense the environment. Such vehicle swarms offer the opportunity to sample oceanic processes on space-time scales that were heretofore unobtainable while being transported at low Reynolds numbers. Since individual drogues are not tracked underwater and only relay sensed information when they are at the surface, our proposed observatory system requires minimal supporting infrastructure. With the computational tools and algorithms developed under this project, the drogues would be built at a fraction of the cost of current ocean sensor technologies.Broader ImpactsThe investigators propose outreach through high schools, community workshops, and a science festival. The investigators mention a focus on diversity. Successful development and deployment of the technology will have substantial impact of high social relevance, and the connections with the California Ocean Sciences Trust will help to ensure successful knowledge transfer. The investigators also propose a suite of other broader impacts activities, including course development and display at a local festival.