Sensor specifications | |||||
Last
updated: Monday August 25, 2008 (PDT)
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This table identifies the types of sensors used on TAO moorings and lists their accuracies. Most instrumental accuracies listed are based on pre-deployment and post-recovery calibrations and are the root mean square drift of a group of sensors. Mechanical current meters and current profilers accuracies are based on intercomparisons between co-located instruments. References where available are indicated by [#] in the comments column and listed at the end of the tables. Accuracies of sensors which are new to TAO moorings (longwave radiation, barometric pressure) or which have not yet been evaluated by TAO (water pressure) are those specified by the manufacturer and are indicated by [M]. In cases where sensors
are paired with PMEL supplied electronics (e.g., analog to digital boards)
calibrations include both the sensor and PMEL electronics. Accuracies
listed here (with the exception of currents) do not include environmental
factors such as wind (on rainfall) or buoy motion(on radiation). Measurement
ranges listed are generally those over which the sensors are calibrated.
The ranges over which a sensor will operate (determined by the sensor
and/or PMEL electronics) are listed in parenthesis if they significantly
exceed the calibration range. A comparison of ATLAS,
TRITON, and IMET mooring meteorological sensors from a land-based intercomparison
study at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in May-June 2000 shows
that in general the three systems measure to equivalent standards of accuracy.
The full report of this intercomparison is contained in footnote [13]
below.
References: [1] Fairall, C. W.,
P. O. G. Persson, E.F. Bradley, R. E. Payne and S. P. Anderson, 1998:
A new look at calibration and use of Eppley Precision Radiometers. Part
I: Theory and Application. J. Atmos. Ocean. Tech., 15, 1229-1242. [2]
Freitag, H.P., Y. Feng, L.J. Mangum, M.P. McPhaden, J. Neander, and L.D.
Stratton, 1994: Calibration procedures and instrumental accuracy estimates
of TAO temperature, relative humidity and radiation measurements. NOAA
Tech. Memo. ERL PMEL-104, 32 pp. [3]
Freitag, H.P., M.E. McCarty, C. Nosse, R. Lukas, M.J. McPhaden, and
M.F. Cronin, 1999: COARE Seacat data: Calibrations and quality control
procedures. NOAA Tech. Memo. ERL PMEL-115, 89 pp. [4] Halpern, D., 1987:
Comparison of upper ocean VACM and VMCM observations in the equatorial
Pacific. J. Atmos. Ocean. Tech., 4, 84-93. [5] Plimpton, P.E., H.P. Freitag, and M.J. McPhaden, 1995: Correcting moored ADCP data for fish-bias errors at 0°,110°W and 0°,140°W from 1990 to 1993. NOAA Tech. Memo. ERL PMEL-107, 49 pp. [6] Serra, Y.L., P.A'Hearn, H.P. Freitag, and M.J. McPhaden, 2001: ATLAS self-siphoning rain gauge error estimates. J. Atmos. Ocean. Tech.,18, 1989-2002. [7]
Freitag, H.P., M. O'Haleck, G.C. Thomas, and M.J. McPhaden, 2001: Calibration
procedures and instrumental accuracies for ATLAS wind measurements. NOAA.
Tech. Memo. OAR PMEL-119, NOAA/Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory,
Seattle, Washington, 20 pp.
[8] McCarty, M.E., and M.J. McPhaden, 1993: Mean seasonal cycles and interannual variations at 0, 165E during 1986-1992. NOAA Tech. Memo. ERL PMEL-98, 64pp. [9] A'Hearn, P.N., H.P. Freitag, and M.J. McPhaden, 2002: ATLAS module temperature bias due to solar heating. NOAA Tech. Memo OAR PMEL-121, NOAA/Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Seattle, WA, 24 pp. [10] Freitag, H.P., M.J. McPhaden, C.Meinig, and P.Plimpton, 2003: Mooring motion bias of point Doppler current meter measurements. In: Proceedings of the IEEE Seventh Working Conference on Current Measurement Technology, San Diego, CA, 13-15 March 2003, IEEE, Piscataway, NJ, 155-160. [11] Plimpton, P.E., H.P. Freitag, and M.J. McPhaden, 2004: Processing of subsurface ADCP data in the equatorial Pacific. NOAA Tech. Memo OAR PMEL-125, NOAA/Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Seattle, WA. 41pp. [12] Lake, B.J., S.M. Noor, H.P. Freitag, and M.J. McPhaden, 2003: Calibration procedures and instrumental accuracy estimates of ATLAS air temperature and relative humidity measurements. NOAA Tech. Memo. OAR PMEL-123, NOAA/Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Seattle, WA, 23 pp. [13]
Payne, R.E., K. Huang, R.A. Weller, H.P. Freitag, M.F. Cronin, M.J. McPhaden,
C. Meinig, Y. Kuroda, N. Ushijima, R.M. Reynolds, 2002: A comparison of
buoy meteorological systems. WHOI Technical Report [14] Freitag, H.P., T.A. Sawatzky, K.B. Ronnholm, and M.J. McPhaden, 2005: Calibration procedures and instrumental accuracy estimates of next generation ATLAS water temperature and pressure measurements. NOAA Tech. Memo. OAR PMEL-128, NTIS: PB2008-101764, NOAA/Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Seattle, WA, 22 pp. [15] Cronin, M.F. and M.J. McPhaden, 1997: The upper ocean heat balance in the western equatorial Pacific warm pool during September-December 1992. J. Geophys. Res., 102, 8533-8553. |
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