Further Analysis of the 2014 Gulf of Mexico Wave Glider Field Program

Fitzpatrick, P. J., Lau, Y. H., Moorhead, R. J., Skarke, A., Merritt, D., Kreider, K., Masters, J., Carlon, R., Hine, G., Lampoudi, T., & Leonardi, A. (2016). Further Analysis of the 2014 Gulf of Mexico Wave Glider Field Program. Marine Technology Society Journal. Marine Technology Society. 50(3), 72-75. DOI:10.4031/MTSJ.50.3.3.

Abstract

Fitzpatrick et al. (2015) provided a detailedn overview of a Summer/Fall 2014 100-day deployment of Wave Glider® (WG) platforms in the eastern Gulf of Mexico which measured surface weather, water temperature, wave, and ocean current profile data. WGs use wave energy for propulsion through the synergistic alternating thrust of wave action on the floating vehicle tethered to mechanical wings on a glider 6 meter (m) below the vehicle. The tether is attached to a switch on the wings, and as the wave crests rise and fall, the wing system creates propulsion, pulling the float by its tether. The WGs provide dynamic environmental monitoring in the maritime environment with long-duration deployments of continuous real-time meteorological and oceanographic data collection, using solar panels to power sensors and satellite and cell communication channels for data delivery. This commentary’s first goal is a follow-up on validation of wave, air temperature, and wind data against nearby buoys. This commentary’s second goal is to validate the October and November sea surface temperature (SST) sensor of the ADCP during the buoy loitering exercises. The ADCP data was archived onboard the WGs but not transmitted, and therefore SST was not validated in Fitzpatrick et al. (2015).