`SMARTRAP´

Author

Steeves, George ; Siddall, Greg ; Awalt, Garon ; Hargrave, Barry

Author_Institution

Dept. of Fisheries & Oceans, Bedford Inst. of Oceanogr., Dartmouth, NS, Canada

fYear

1993

fDate

18-21 Oct 1993

Abstract

The `SMARTRAP´ is an autonomous instrument designed to measure the downward vertical flux of particles as a function of various physical parameters including absolute pressure, temperature, conductivity, vector-averaged current, and elapsed-time. A sampling strategy implemented by an on-board computer algorithm selects one of 13 vials into which a large steepsided funnel concentrates the settling particles. This allows the investigator to correlate environmental parameters with the nature and quantity of particles collected at known times. The principle system components include: a turn-key microcomputer with large data store and serial data communications, an EG&G SACM (smart acoustic current meter), and an electro-mechanically actuated carousel resistant to marine fouling with precise position feed-back. The instrument´s design is described in detail and field test results of a current activated experiment are presented which verify the performance of the device

Keywords

geophysical equipment; geophysical techniques; geophysics computing; oceanographic techniques; seafloor phenomena; sedimentation; sediments; SMARTRAP; autonomous instrument; carousel; computer algorithm; downward vertical flux; funnel; marine geology; measurement equipment; ocean; particle; sampling strategy; seafloor; sediment trap; sedimentation; settling particles; turn-key microcomputer; vial; Acoustic devices; Conductivity measurement; Current measurement; Data communication; Instruments; Microcomputers; Particle measurements; Pressure measurement; Sampling methods; Temperature;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

OCEANS '93. Engineering in Harmony with Ocean. Proceedings

Conference_Location

Victoria, BC

Print_ISBN

0-7803-1385-2

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/OCEANS.1993.326016

Filename

326016