|
Evaluating Mooring Designs for ADCP Data Quality in the Strong Kuroshio Current: A Comparative Study of Elliptical Buoys and Stablemoor Buoys
Huan-Jie Shao 1, Ke-Hsien Fu 2*, I-Huan Lee 3 and Wei-Teh Li 3
1 NOR3 Marine Instrument Center, College of Marine Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung,
Taiwan
2 Marine Science and Information Research Center, National Academy of Marine Research, Kaohsiung,
Taiwan
3 Department of Oceanography, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
|
Abstract:
This study presents a comprehensive analysis of data quality from Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) observations in the strong Kuroshio current off southeastern Taiwan, comparing two mooring designs: the "Elliptical ADCP Buoy" (EAB) and "StableMoor Mooring Buoy" (SMB). The Kuroshio current is critical for understanding regional ocean dynamics, climate variability, and marine ecosystems. Accurate ADCP measurements are vital for capturing the current's velocity structure, and data quality can be significantly impacted by the mooring configuration. During a two-year field experiment, the EAB was deployed during the first phase (2022-2023) and the SMB in the second phase (2023-2024). This study compares the data collected from both mooring buoy types, with a focus on the impacts of ADCP motion and orientation on data quality. The SMB, deployed for the first time in Taiwan, successfully conducted year-long measurements in the Kuroshio current, providing recommendations for mooring designs for challenging environments. The results indicate that the SMB generally produces lower noise levels and more consistent velocity profiles. The SMB's design, which reduces form drag and resists mooring deflection, contributes to more stable observations. In contract, the EAB offers broader spatial coverage due to it being knocked down by ocean currents, and it exhibits data coverage variability. This variability is likely attributed to the deflection of the mooring system, which can introduce biases in the ADCP measurements. These findings highlight the impact of buoy shape on mooring design for in-situ ADCP observations. The insights gained from this analysis can contribute to improving observational strategies for ocean current monitoring in complex and dynamic marine environments. With the higher data quality associated with the SMB, researchers can make informed decisions on mooring configurations that best suit their observational goals.
|
|
Keywords: mooring observation, StableMoor mooring buoy, Elliptical ADCP buoy, Kuroshio current
|
Download PDF
|
|
*Corresponding author; e-mail: khfu@namr.gov.tw
|
©
2024
Marine Research , ISSN 2709-6629
|
|
10 Views 8 Downloads
|