Shallow Water Acoustic System for Hydro-data (SWASH)

Scripps Institute of Oceanography (UCSD) with ONR support has developed the methodology to utilize acoustic sensors suitable for incorporation in autonomous drifting sampling instruments for measuring vertical current structure in shallow waters, water depth, bottom sediment characteristics, and acoustically active water column properties. Clearwater Instrumentation has extensive experience in designing, constructing and manufacturing low-cost, long-lived, self-locating (GPS), autonomous drifters incorporating sensors for temperature, barometric pressure salinity, and light that return data via satellite links. Scripps will assist Clearwater by transferring the knowledge necessary to incorporate active acoustic current-profiling and bottom characterizing sensors and measurement systems into a small low-cost autonomous expendable instrument, and by assisting in the development of algorithms to determine wave characteristics from GPS data. This expendable environmental sensor system is intended for observing and characterizing littoral conditions, including rivers, estuaries and lagoons.