A cost effective and highly configurable scientific platform, dubbed Norton, has been developed for the scientific study of near-bottom ocean processes. The basic platform is a collapsible lightweight aluminum tripod that can be transported in the back of a pick-up truck, and is easily accommodated on most vessels. Ballast is supplied in the form of large ship anodes bolted to the base of each leg. The desired sensors are attached to the tripod legs and bracing. A typical deployment might utilize the following sensors: · Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler for current profiles and directional wave data. · Marsh McBirney electromagnetic flow sensor for measurements close to the bottom, supporting both wave orbital burst sampling and average current measurements. · Optical Backscatter sensors (OBS) for sediment concentration. · Sector-scanning sonar to supply bed-form images; An Imagenex variable frequency scanning head has been integrated into a self-contained housing containing a control module, data logger and power supply. Other sensors can be added as desired. Norton is usually deployed by lowering with a line from the ship. An acoustic release is used to let go of the tripod once it is on bottom. A customized 'tilt-pinger' provides confirmation to the crew that the tripod is upright. Recovery can be via a pop-up buoy and/or a ground-line.
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