Description:
Summary: We have top level requirements. We have robust quality assurance, quality control, information management, and dissemination operational management processes. Our current generation measurement system is 15+ years old and resides within a large sail area (if impacted by Category 2 or greater winds), water plane area (if impacted by storm surge), NEMA 4x water tight enclosures with relatively weak appendages supporting antennas, solar panels, conduit, connectors, and sensors. This research will create that next evolutionary station that can support multiple sensors (water level, meteorological, HAB, current meter, etc.), store the data, survive, transmit the data near real time, be self-powered, permits remote troubleshooting & fixing, and self-positioned to the National Spatial Reference System and local datum within 0.1-cm sphere (in all directions).
Project Goals: Create the next generation lightweight small scale-able water level measurement system that can be deployed anywhere in the Continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, and its territories and survive providing near real time data (every 6-min or 18-min) for processing, QA/QC, storage, & dissemination; used by partners & stakeholders. Must haves: remote troubleshooting, sustainable with maintenance visits every three to five years, survivable & operating in all locations in predictable environmental conditions over 50 years), surviving under 10-meters of water (return to continuous real time operation when storm surge or flooding recedes), and initial cost under $25,000 per station. A typical station can be seen on our tides and currents web site.
