Determination of instantaneous sea surface,wave heights,and ocean currents using satellite observations of the global positioning system

Abstract

Using GPS phase observations in the kinematic mode, we are able to achieve centimeter accuracy in relative three‐dimensional coordinates. This could be verified even for fast‐moving sensors in aircraft, such as airborne photogrammetric cameras, at the time of exposure. Sophisticated kinematic software has been developed resolving cycle slips and carrier‐phase ambiguities during motion. To determine the instantaneous sea surface, the GPS receiver is placed in a free‐drifting buoy with the antenna on top. Differencing the 1‐Hz observations, wave heights can be determined as well as velocity and direction of ocean (tidal) currents.

This article deals with the experiences from a test for the practical realization of this proposal. Hardware installation, software, and data analysis are described. Plans to use such an observational scenario of a GPS buoy array in the North Sea for the calibration of the radar altimeter of the European satellite ERS‐1 are presented.     

一种简易的潜标辅助寻标定位系统

介绍一种自主研发的、结合GPS定位和水声测距于一体的潜标自动搜寻定位系统。系统由安装于搜索船只上的全球定位系统GPS接收机、水声释放器甲板单元、综合信号接收处理单元(由计算机组成),以及集成于潜标系统水声释放器上的水声应答系统组成。利用GPS定位原理,将GPS测得的定位信息,与水声测距技术相结合,实现潜标系统的空间定位,为潜标系统的可靠回收提供技术保障。     

Shipboard towers for Global Positioning System antennas

Two 12.2 m-high towers for mounting Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver antennas were designed and constructed to provide millimeter-level stability while maintaining portability and accessibility to satellites and deck spaces. A combination of guys and a 3-m horizontal strut provide roll and pitch stability of 2–3 mm observed from 0.1 seconds to 12 days using a combination of GPS and optical/laser devices. The shipboard antenna mounts connect sub-aerial GPS positioning to underwater acoustic ranging that determine the centimeter-level location of seafloor transponders. Observed annually, these seafloor geodetic positions measure seafloor crustal motion for geophysical studies.     

A long‐range and high‐resolution underwater acoustic positioning system

Abstract

It is desired to track the location of an underwater data collecting platform using acoustic range data. A long‐range and high‐resolution acoustic system for underwater locating has been investigated. The system provides continuous and highly accurate tracking of a platform referenced to bottom‐mounted buoys. Each reference buoy contains an acoustic transponder, which is used to obtain ranging data from the transponder to the platform. The transponder has a signal source that is phase‐modulated by a maximal‐length binary sequence and a correlation processing unit to be capable of detecting received acoustic signals with high SNR in a noisy environment or in attenuation due to long‐range propagation, and to identify multipath acoustic signals. The acoustic system has been designed and sea tests tried. The results of that experiment have yielded capability of a submeter underwater acoustic positioning system.     

Mapping the sea surface using a GPS buoy

On May 22 and 24, 1995, a buoy, designed to float with the water surface and equipped with a GPS antenna, was deployed off the California coast at 16 locations near the Texaco oil platform, Harvest. The purpose of this deployment was threefold:.(1) to demonstrate the ability of this style of buoy to calibrate the TOPEXIPOSEIDON (TIP) altimeter range measurement as it overflew the platform: (2) to demonstrate the ability of the buoy to map the ocean's surface over a 10‐km‐diameter circle surrounding platform Harvest; and (3) to demonstrate the ability of the buoy to measure the sea state accurately. During the 1.6‐h period surrounding the time of the TIP overflight, the buoy‐measured sea level never differed by more than 1.5 cm from the sea level measured by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) acoustic tide gauge on the platform. The good agreement demonstrated the capability of this style of buoy to calibrate altimetric satellites. A paraboloid was fitted to sea level from 16 buoy locations surrounding the platform with a 2.5‐cm rms residual. On a 10‐km‐diameter circle centered on the platform, the paraboloid was within 2.4‐cm rms of the Ohio State University Mean Sea Surface (OSUMSS95). H _u3 values calculated around the overflight times from the GPS buoy vertical positions had a mean difference of 2 cm and a standard deviation of 18 cm from values calculated from the University of Colorado (CU) pressure gauge system. At the time of the overflight, H _u3 was near 2 m, while 3‐m seas were observed by the CU pressure system during measurements later in the day. This experiment demonstrates that a simple wave‐rider buoy design can give comparable accuracies to that of more complex GPS platforms such as the University of Colorado's spar buoy, but is much easier to deploy and capable of being used in more severe weather conditions. Thus, such a buoy and derivative designs have great potential for calibrating altimetric experiments, and for oceanographic and geodetic mapping experiments.     

Accuracy assessment of GPS/Acoustic positioning using a Seafloor Acoustic Transponder System

The accuracy of GPS/Acoustic positioning is crucial for monitoring seafloor crustal deformation. However, the slant range residual is currently the only indicator used to evaluate the precision of positioning seafloor transponders. This study employs a unique Seafloor Acoustic Transponder System (SATS) to evaluate the accuracy of GPS/Acoustic seafloor positioning. The SATS has three transponders and an attitude sensor in a single unit, which provides true lengths of transponder baselines and true attitude of the SATS to ensure assessment reliability and validity. The proposed approach was tested through a GPS/Acoustic experiment, in which an off-the-shelf acoustic system was used to collect range measurements. Using GPS/Acoustic geodetic observations, the positions of three transponders on the SATS were estimated by an optimization technique combined with ray-tracing calculations. The accuracy of the GPS/Acoustic seafloor positioning is assessed by comparing the true baselines and attitude with the results derived from the position estimates of the three transponders. A sensitivity analysis is conducted to investigate the robustness of the GPS/Acoustic positioning results to changes of sound speed. Experimental results demonstrate that the use of the SATS can help to assess the validity of the GPS and acoustic travel time measurements in the GPS/Acoustic seafloor positioning.     

Optimal localization of a seafloor transponder in shallow water using acoustic ranging and GPS observations

This study utilized circular and straight-line survey patterns for acoustic ranging to determine the position of a seafloor transponder and mean sound speed of the water column. To reduce the considerable computational burden and eliminate the risk of arriving at a local minimum on least-squares inversion, the position of a seafloor transponder was estimated by utilizing optimization approaches. Based on the implicit function theorem, the Jacobian for this inverse problem was derived to investigate the constraints of employing circular and straight-line survey patterns to estimate the position of a transponder. Both cases, with and without knowledge of the vertical sound speed profile, were considered. A transponder positioning experiment was conducted at sea to collect acoustic and GPS observations. With significant uncertainties inherent in GPS measurements and the use of a commercial acoustic transponder not designed for precise ranging, experimental results indicate that the transponder position can be estimated accurately on the order of decimeters. Moreover, the mean sound speed of the water column estimated by the proposed optimization scheme is in agreement with that derived from conductivity, temperature, and density (CTD) measurements.     

New buoy observation system for tsunami and crustal deformation

We have developed a new system for real-time observation of tsunamis and crustal deformation using a seafloor pressure sensor, an array of seafloor transponders and a Precise Point Positioning (PPP ) system on a buoy. The seafloor pressure sensor and the PPP system detect tsunamis, and the pressure sensor and the transponder array measure crustal deformation. The system is designed to be capable of detecting tsunami and vertical crustal deformation of ±8 m with a resolution of less than 5 mm. A noteworthy innovation in our system is its resistance to disturbance by strong ocean currents. Seismogenic zones near Japan lie in areas of strong currents like the Kuroshio, which reaches speeds of approximately 5.5 kt (2.8 m/s) around the Nankai Trough. Our techniques include slack mooring and new acoustic transmission methods using double pulses for sending tsunami data. The slack ratio can be specified for the environment of the deployment location. We can adjust slack ratios, rope lengths, anchor weights and buoy sizes to control the ability of the buoy system to maintain freeboard. The measured pressure data is converted to time difference of a double pulse and this simple method is effective to save battery to transmit data. The time difference of the double pulse has error due to move of the buoy and fluctuation of the seawater environment. We set a wire-end station 1,000 m beneath the buoy to minimize the error. The crustal deformation data is measured by acoustic ranging between the buoy and six transponders on the seafloor. All pressure and crustal deformation data are sent to land station in real-time using iridium communication.     

Installation of ocean bottom bases for observation of seafloor crustal movement

Abstract

Ocean bottom bases (OBBs) have been installed on both sides of the axis of the Sagami Trough east of the Izu Peninsula, central Japan, as the first step toward long‐term geodetic and geophysical observations at the plate boundary (subduction zone). The OBB is a platform for seafloor measurements; otherwise it is difficult to find an appropriate place for precise seafloor measurements in the subduction zones. It is made of a nonmagnetic concrete block of size 1100 × 1100 × 500 mm. It was lowered from a ship using a winch wire and installed on a predetermined place with its position being monitored by an acoustic transponder system and a 30‐kHz bottom pinger with an accuracy of about 2 m.

It was confirmed later during the divings on board the submersible Shinkai 2000 that the OBB was installed on a flat mud bottom in normal condition. No change has been recognized in the installation condition in 3 years; the OBB is stable enough to be used for acoustic range measurements on the seafloor as well as for several geophysical measurements.

The resolution of seafloor range measurement can be improved by two orders by using phase measurement techniques with the aid of pulse compression. Precise acoustic range measurement of the order of 10^?5 is feasible under the following conditions: two‐way measurements between the two OBBs installed on the slope facing each other with angles larger than 1.5°. Correction is necessary for the effect of long‐term temperature variation.     

Centimeter-Level Positioning of Seafloor Acoustic Transponders from a Deeply-Towed Interrogator

An array of three seafloor transponders was acoustically surveyed to centimeter precision with a deeply-towed interrogator. Measurements of two-way acoustic travel time and hydrostatic pressure made as the interrogator was towed above the array were combined in a least-squares adjustment to estimate the interrogator and transponder positions in two surveys spanning two years. No transponder displacements were expected at this site in the interior of the Juan de Fuca Plate (48^?11′ N, 127^?12′ W) due to the lack of active faults. This was confirmed to a precision of ±2 cm by least-squares adjustment. Marginally detectable blunders in the observations were shown to affect the transponder position estimates by no more than 3 mm, demonstrating the geometric strength of the data set. The accumulation of many hundreds of observations resulted in a significant computational burden on the least-squares inversion procedure. The sparseness of the normal matrix was exploited to reduce by a factor of 1000 the number of calculations. The acoustic survey results suggested that the near-bottom sound speed fields during the two surveys were in better agreement than inferred from yearly single-profile conductivity, temperature, and pressure (CTD) measurements.     

Attitude determination using a multi‐antenna GPS system for hydrographic applications

A four‐antenna GPS attitude determination system was used to estimate roll, pitch, and heading parameters of a 52‐meter surveying vessel in an operational marine environment. The least squares algorithm for platform attitude estimation using multiple baseline vector observables is presented. An efficient on‐the‐fly carrier phase ambiguity searching method is derived, which utilizes the Cholesky decomposition method and the known baseline constraints between the GPS antennas to construct the potential ambiguity sets on the sphere. The accuracy of the estimated attitude parameters from the GPS multi‐antenna system was assessed with an independent inertial navigation system (INS). Results from sea trials show that the proposed GPS multi‐antenna system and processing algorithms delivered a satisfactory performance under various ship maneuvers. The accuracy of GPS estimated ship attitude parameters is better than 0.06 degrees at an output rate of 10 Hz. Such a performance demonstrates a new alternative means to provide accurate, reliable, and cost‐effective ship attitude information for hydrographic applications.     

A high-resolution pulse-Doppler underwater acoustic navigation system

A high-resolution underwater acoustic pulse-Doppler navigation system has been developed and tested at sea. The system provides continuous, highly accurate tracking of underwater and ocean-surface platforms in a fixed 50-km²navigation net. Three reference buoys, moored 20 m from the ocean bottom, provide the navigation net used by shipboard processing equipment. Each reference buoy contains an acoustic transponder, used to obtain the acoustic travel times from the transponder to the platform, and a continuous-tone beacon, used to obtain the Doppler shift due to platform motion. The system is capable of determining the position of a platform with respect to the reference net with an error of 2-3 m. The relative position of the platform on a fix-to-fix basis can be determined within several centimeters over short time intervals (approx 10min).     

GPS buoy and pressure transducer results from the August 1990 Texaco Harvest Oil Platform Experiment

The Texaco Harvest Oil Platform Experiment took place August 22–28, 1990, off Point Conception, California. This platform has been designated as the NASA/JPL verification site for the TOPEX radar altimeter, which is to be launched in mid‐1992. The purpose of the experiment was to obtain measurements from GPS and other instrumentation that will be used at the site for the verification activities, and to determine the potential effects of the platform environment on the quality of the measurements. In conjunction with this experiment, a buoy equipped with a GPS receiver was floated in the vicinity of the platform for the purpose of measuring sea‐level change and waves relative to a reference receiver located on the platform. A pressure transducer installed at the site also provided sea‐level change and wave measurements relative to the platform. We present the data collection, processing, and analysis results comparing the GPS‐buoy and pressure transducer data. The GPS‐determined sea‐surface height measurements show 1.3‐cm agreement when compared with transducer‐determined heights taken over the same period of time. Low‐rate (15‐s) data were used to measure the change in sea‐level height due to tides, while high‐rate (1‐s) measurements provided temporal resolution sufficient for determining wave spectra.     

Instrumentation of SEASWAB experiment

Abstract

From September 1975 to April 1976 offshore production Platform V in South Pass, Block 28 (East Bay, Louisiana), was instrumented to measure the effect of storm waves on the soft sediments typical of the Mississippi delta (in a project given the acronym SEASWAB). A portion of this project consisted of four identifiable units of instrumentation (see note): (1) an accelerometer package buried 1 m in the sediment to measure three‐dimensional sediment accelerations and an associated pressure transducer, which measured wave‐induced pressures; (2) an array of instruments that included a wave staff, electromagnetic current meter, and a pressure transducer to examine various relationships between wave properties; (3) a wave‐, current‐, and wind‐measuring station 3.35 km inshore of Platform V to determine the transformation of the waves as they moved over the sediments; and (4) a transponder buried in the mud, the position monitored so that long‐term mudflow could be measured. The direct measurement of seafloor oscillations required the unique instrumentation of the accelerometer system. Three Bruel and Kjaer 8306 accelerometers mounted at right angles to each other made possible the measurement of small oscillations (～0.01 m) at low frequencies (0.1–0.3 Hz). The acoustic method of measuring long‐term mudflow was subject to problems associated with sound propagation in shallow water. The range of the system was found to be 2.74 km, apparently independent of depth. Multiple returns received after single interrogations of the transponder decreased the accuracy of the system.     

Acoustic Ray Tracing Comparisons in the Context of Geodetic Precise off-shore Positioning Experiments

The GNSS-Acoustics (GNSS-A) method couples acoustics with GNSS to allow the precise localization of a seafloor reference in a global frame. This method can extend on-shore GNSS networks and allows the monitoring of hazardous oceanic tectonic phenomena. The goal of this study is to test the influence of both acoustics ray tracing techniques and spatial heterogeneities of acoustic wave speed on positioning accuracy. We test three different ray tracing methods: the eikonal method (3D sound speed field), the Snell-Descartes method (2D sound speed profile), and an equivalent sound speed method. We also compare the processing execution time. The eikonal method is compatible with the Snell-Descartes method (by up to 10 ppm in term of propagation time difference) but takes approximately a thousand times longer to run. We used the 3D eikonal ray tracing to characterize the influence of a lateral sound speed gradient on acoustic ray propagation and positioning accuracy. For a deep water (? 3,000 m) situation, frequent in subduction zones such as the Lesser Antilles, not accounting for lateral sound speed gradients can induce an error of up to 5 cm in the horizontal positioning of a seafloor transponder, even when the GNSS-A measurements are made over the barycenter of a seafloor transponder array.     

First measurements from a deep-tow transient electromagnetic sounding system

An electromagnetic sounding system has been developed to map the shallow electrical conductivity structure of the deep sea floor. The instrument consists of a magnetic source and several colinear magnetic receivers forming an array which is towed along the seafloor. The source generates a time varying magnetic field; the shape of the resulting magnetic field waveform at the receivers depends on the electrical conductivity below the seafloor between the receivers and the source. The instrument can be towed systematically over a study area under acoustic transponder or GPS navigation to construct a map of the electrical conductivity. Towing speeds of greater than 1 m s^–1 (2 knots) can be achieved without adversely effecting data quality. The instrument is sufficiently robust to survive continual contact with thinly sedimented, abrasive basalt. We present the first results from a deployment in August, 1990 near the Cleft Segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge along an 8 km track to the west of the spreading center. Unforeseen problems with the instrument restricted the utility of the measurements for constructing detailed vertical conductivity profiles, but the measurements were adequate to determine an average conductivity in the upper 25 m, at more than 70 stations. The conductivity was found to vary from 0.1 to 0.4 S/m along the track.     

The physical model with temperature and pressure controlled for measuring acoustic velocity of marine sediments

Abstract

The superficial marine sediment is an important boundary of ocean acoustic propagation. So, the acoustic property of seafloor surface is always research hotspot. The acoustic property of sediment is affected by temperature and pressure which is not considered by conventional lab acoustic measurement. A new type of system, called “Small-scale Geo-acoustic Physical Model Pilot System” (SGPMP) has been developed. The system measures geo-acoustic property of sediment under specific temperature, pressure and frequency conditions which can be controlled conveniently and accurately. The components, structure, measurement principle, error analysis and application example of this system are introduced in this article. As a laboratory platform, the system makes it convenient for us to study the relationship between the temperature, pressure, frequency and acoustic properties of marine sediment.     

一种新型水下声学浮标在目标探测中的应用

针对海上目标探测问题, 将矢量水听器和Argo浮标相结合, 可构建一种具有水中目标探测能力的新型水下声学浮标平台。该浮标平台可多次上浮和下潜, 具有在位时间长、隐蔽性能高、成本低等特点, 单台水下声学浮标即可实现海上目标探测, 利用多台水下声学浮标可快速形成大面积区域覆盖能力。为进一步验证水下声学浮标对海上目标探测性能, 2019年8月在南海海区开展了多台水下声学浮标海上试验, 数据处理结果表明: 南海夏季典型声速剖面下, 水下声学浮标对船长42m航速8.4kn的水面航船目标最远探测距离可达13.8km, 目标估计方位均方根误差最优可达5°, 在水面航船距离最近的1.9km处, 目标估计方位标准差可达2°。     

可变角度换能器在海底沉积物声学原位测量应用的探讨

海底沉积物的声学测量是海底测深的关键技术之一,应用于海底地形地貌测量、海洋矿产资源开采和海底工程建设等。海底沉积物声学测量方法中的原位测量方法可以避免保真采样法的强扰动性和遥测法的准确度、精度及灵敏度的不确定性等缺点,如何改进原位测量系统渐成为海底探测的研究热点。通过分析现有海底沉积物原位测量设备测试换能器的工作原理,针对垂直压入方式换能器测量深度有限,提出了一种通过改变换能器压入沉积物的角度来增加测量深度的方法。在理论上论证出在不低于换能器接收阈值时,测量深度随着掠射角的增加而增加。在不增加压入深度的前提下提供了一种增加测量深度方法。     

利用GPS拖体在万山区域测量平均海面技术研究

Wanshan area has been chosen to be the specified field to calibrate and validate(Cal/Val) the HY-2 altimeter and its follow-on satellites. In March 2018, an experiment has been conducted to determine the sea surface height(SSH) under the HY-2 A ground track(Pass No. 203). A GPS towing-body(GPS-TB) was designed to measure the SSH covering an area of about 6 km×28 km wide centered on the HY-2 A altimeter satellite ground track. Three GPS reference stations, one tide gauge and a GPS buoy were placed in the research area, in order to process and resolve the kinematic solution and check the precision of the GPS-TB respectively. All the GPS data were calculated by the GAMIT/GLOBK software and TRACK module. The sea surface was determined by the GPS-TB solution and the tide gauge placed on Zhiwan Island. Then the sea surface of this area was interpolated by Arc GIS10.2 with ordinary Kriging method. The results showed that the precision of the GPS-TB is about 1.10 cm compared with the tide gauge placed nearby, which has an equivalent precision with the GPS buoy. The interpolated sea surface has a bias of –1.5–4.0 cm with standard deviation of 0.2–2.4 cm compared with the checking line. The gradient of the measured sea surface is about 1.62 cm/km along the HY-2 orbit which shows a good agreement compared with the CLS11 mean sea surface(MSS). In the Cal/Val of satellites, the sea surface between the tide gauge/GPS buoy and the footprint of altimeter can be improved by this work.