Numerous complex instruments have been integrated into autonomous underwater gliders over the past two decades to investigate the biological, chemical, and physical properties of the ocean. Current profilers have been integrated for more than a decade and provide novel insight that can enable more accurate calculations of underwater current velocity. Subsurface currents and their variations in speed have been categorized as a physical oceanographic essential ocean variable within the Global Ocean Observing System Ocean Observations Panel for Climate (https://www.goosocean.org/). The velocity calculations are critical for understanding the transport of heat, salt, passive tracers, and pollutants in global oceans. Additionally, surface currents are a major player in climate, as they are responsible for the transport of water and the regulation of global climate and equal distribution of solar radiation. Ultimately, underwater velocity calculations can allow for more detailed and accurate regional and global ocean numerical models of upper-ocean dynamics. However, due to the large sizes of data and limited measurement platforms, subsurface currents and their velocities are greatly under-sampled in real-time. This research project aims to develop a procedure that efficiently processes large data sets of information collected by autonomous underwater gliders while at sea, enabling data transfer to shore in near-realtime. This process involves implementing an algorithm onboard a Slocum glider through the installation of software on a Raspberry Pi 4, which was found to be the most efficient microprocessor. Ultimately, this project will provide detailed insight into subsurface current velocities and expand our global ocean observing capabilities.

Primary Presenter: Nikitha Shivakumar, Georgia Institute of Technology (nikithaskr@gmail.com)

Authors:

Nikitha Shivakumar, Georgia Institute of Technology  (nshivakumar6@gatech.edu)

Travis Miles, Rutgers Univeristy Center for Ocean Observing Leadership  (tnmiles@marine.rutgers.edu)

Joseph Gradone, Rutgers Univeristy Center for Ocean Observing Leadership  (jgradone@marine.rutgers.edu)