Field Measuring Facilities
Asia-Pacific ASA has a number of measuring facilities that can be utilized by staff as well as clients to carry out data collection operations.
Asia-Pacific ASA’s facilities include:
GPSMAP 178 Sounder:
This is a fully integrated chartplotter and depth sounder; it includes a dual frequency-transom mount transducer and a remote GPS antenna. The use of 12-channel parallel receiver allows tracking of up to 12 satellites for fast, accurate positioning of depth display and registrations. The tool collects bathymetric soundings (records of date/time/depth/location etc.) simultaneously at defined distances or time steps along a vessel track and plots onto a map of the area, so the observer can see which area has already been covered by measurements. The tool uses the Garmin map chips so these can be selected for observer’s area of interest.
Two autonomous (open ocean) current tracking drogues:
The drogue body consists of foam-filled-stainless steel float and has a soft EVA foam skirt to make it easier to find, yet transportable. A perforated underwater sock hangs from the float to provide drag, and, therefore, current measurements in a selected water layer. OmniTRACK satellite tracking devices can be fixed in a recess on the drogue bodies. The tracking devices use GPS to locate themselves and report their position at user-defined intervals via the OmniSTAR network. The network has global coverage. The track history (date/time/location) is archived and can be downloaded and interrogated in real-time with the purpose of the drogues recovery, so there is no need to watch them directly.
Three (coastal waters) current tracking drogues:
Each drogue consists of a float bearing a light waterproof GPS and an underwater drag. A hermetic container for the GPS is embedded into the foam float providing for the float’s upper surface to stay reasonably flat. A 1m long perforated sock is tied to the float as to provide an estimate of currents in 1 metre thick water layer. To provide safe recovery, the drogues need to be visually observed during filed experiments.
The WeatherMaster 1600 and WeatherMaster 2000 automatic weather stations:
Each consists of inbuilt electronic weather sensors, Windows software, data logger, solar panel, battery and powder-coated stand. The sensors register wind speed, wind direction, air temperature, air pressure, relative humidity, solar radiation, and rainfall. The data are then available for transmission using standard telephone link (phone line with modem), digital mobile (GSM/CDMA) link, radio links, and Ethernet and Web connections. The data can also be collected using a personal computer or hand-held display/download device directly connected to the station.
Two self-contained Teledyne RDI Workhorse Sentinel 600 kHz acoustic Doppler current profilers:
The lightweight and adaptable Sentinels are easily deployed on buoys, boats, or mounted on the seafloor. Real-time data can be transmitted to shore via a cable link or acoustic modem, or data can be stored internally for short or long-term deployments. Both available instruments can measure currents and wave directional parameters simultaneously. Suspended sediment concentrations can also be obtained by post-processing the ADCP signals using specialised software (Sediview). This software, which only functions with RDI brand ADCP instruments, interprets the vertical distribution of sediment concentrations as a vertical slice.
