Autonomous expendable data collection device for remote environmental sensing

摘要

An Autonomous Expendable Conductivity-Temperature-Depth Profiler (AXCTD) for profiling temperature, conductivity, pressure, and other parameters in remote oceanic regions was developed. The AXCTD is a microcomputer-controlled sensor package that can be deployed by unskilled operators from ships or aircraft. The AXCID records two CID profiles (one during descent and another during ascent) and CTD times series while on the bottom and adrift at the surface. Recorded data are transmitted to an ARGOS satellite with ground-positioning capabilities. Successful sea tests of a prototype AXCI7D, completed in 1989, are reported in this paper. The AXCTD can provide ''sea truth'' for remote sensing, perform environmental and military surveillance missions, and acquire time-series and synoptic data for computer models.