Oceanography

Campbell Scientific data-acquisition systems are so robust and flexible that they are used in almost every facet of ocean study. They can be customized to monitor factors involved in coastal erosion, ice-floe movement, currents, salinity, water quality, and tides and waves. Our systems are rugged and low power, so can be stationed on shore or off shore, in any remote, harsh environment.

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From coastal weather stations to weather buoys to stations aboard ships, our systems are well-suited for monitoring:

1. Coastal erosion and sedimentation
2. Ecosystem research
3. Ice-floe movement (GPS)
4. Ice-load/impact monitoring
5. Oceanographic currents
6. Salinity and water quality studies
7. Ship-board monitoring
8. Structural monitoring
9. Temperature profiles
10. Tidal monitoring
11. Wave height and power
12. Weather and climate monitoring

Monitoring and Control

Our monitoring systems are based around programmable dataloggers that measure the sensors, then process, store, and transmit the data. The compact size, rugged design, low power use, and versatility of our dataloggers allow them to be used in many applications, including integration into submerged systems. Our dataloggers have wide operating temperature ranges, programmable execution intervals, and ample input channels for commonly used sensors. Most sensors interface directly to our dataloggers, eliminating external signal conditioning. On-board instruction sets contain processing routines that range from simple statistics (e.g., average, maximum, minimum, standard deviation) to more complex routines (e.g., FFT, saturation vapor pressure, histogram).

Data are typically viewed and stored in the units of your choice (e.g., wind speed in mph, m/s, knots). Measurement rates and data recording intervals are independently programmable, allowing calculation of 15-minute, hourly, and daily data values from 1-minute or 1-second measurements, for example. Conditional outputs, such as wind gusts, can also be recorded. The program can be modified at any time to accommodate different sensor configurations or new data processing requirements. If needed, channel capacity can be expanded using multiplexers. All of these features allow you to meet your data requirements, whether it's storing hourly averages of meteorological data or compensating a depth sensor for depth and wave period to produce wave power spectra.

Sensors used for Oceanography

Almost any sensor can be measured by our dataloggers, allowing systems to be customized for each site. Typical sensors used include, but are not limited to: wind speed and direction, solar radiation, temperature (air, water), relative humidity, precipitation, barometric pressure, pressure/depth (strain gage or quartz crystal), as well as flow transducers, potentiometers, load cells, accelerometers, radiometers, thermocouples, thermistors, and RTDs.

Data Retrieval

We offer multiple communication options for data retrieval, which can be mixed within the same network. Telecommunications options include satellite (Argos, OrbCom, QualComm, Inmarsat C, GOES), telephone (landline, cellular, voice-synthesized), radio, short-haul, multidrop, and ethernet. On-site options include storage module and laptop.

Software

Our PC-based support software simplifies the entire monitoring process, from programming and data retrieval to data display and analysis. Our software automatically manages data retrieval from networks or single stations. Robust error-checking ensures data integrity. We can even help you post your data to the Internet.