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Field Campaign: AUV study of the mouth of Columbia River
Chief Scientist: Craig McNeil, APL-UW
Document: AUV-MCR Plan
Research Goals
1) Send the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) through the mouth of the Columbia River on several ebbs (possibly flood if conditions suitable), measuring currents, T/S/O2 and turbidity (optical and acoustical), and other properties from ecopucks as available to study currents and mixing (shear, boundary layers), identify oceanographic features (liftoff point, internal waves, eddies/rolls/boils), and suspended sediment distributions.
2) compare AUV data to aerial survey data and numerical models
1) Use transponders to aid navigations where possible. Three transponders will be attached to Guy Gelfenbaum’s tripods. One transponder is reserved as homing beacon out at plume.
2) Deploy AUV in estuary with R/V Inferno equipped with ranger
3) Recover out at plume with T/V Forerunner equipped with second ranger
4) T/V Forerunner preferentially crosses bar at local high water and return just after low water. (All weather and condition dependent.)
5) Start conservative by flying the AUV at constant depth or preferably height above bottom. Proceed to triangle mode.
