A GPS-Tracked Surf Zone Drifter

A drifter designed to measure surf zone circulation has been developed and field tested. Drifter positions accurate to within a few meters are estimated in real time at 0.1 Hz using the global positioning system (GPS) and a shore-to-drifter radio link. More accurate positions are estimated at 1 Hz f...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of atmospheric and oceanic technology 2003-07, Vol.20 (7), p.1069-1075
Main Authors: Schmidt, W E, Woodward, B T, Millikan, K S, Guza, R T
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Current meters
Global positioning systems
GPS
Marine
Ocean currents
Surf
Water depth
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Summary:A drifter designed to measure surf zone circulation has been developed and field tested. Drifter positions accurate to within a few meters are estimated in real time at 0.1 Hz using the global positioning system (GPS) and a shore-to-drifter radio link. More accurate positions are estimated at 1 Hz from postprocessed, internally logged data. Mean alongshore currents estimated from trajectories of the 0.5-m-draft drifters in 1-2-m water depth agree well with measurements obtained with nearby, bottom-mounted, acoustic current meters. Drifters deployed near the base of a well-developed rip current often followed eddylike paths within the surf zone before being transported seaward. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
ISSN:0739-0572
1520-0426
DOI:10.1175/1460.1