Glider-Based Active Acoustic Monitoring of Currents and Turbidity in the Coastal Zone

Type Article
Date 2020-09
Language English
Author(s) Gentil Mathieu1, Many Gaël1, 2, Durrieu De Madron Xavier1, Cauchy Pierre1, 3, Pairaud IvaneORCID4, Testor Pierre5, Verney RomaricORCID6, Bourrin François1
Affiliation(s) 1 : CEFREM, CNRS, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, 52 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860 Perpignan, France
2 : LA, Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées, 14 Avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France
3 : COAS, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
4 : Univ Brest, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Laboratoire d’Océanographie Physique et Spatiale (LOPS), IUEM, F-29280 Plouzané, France
5 : CNRS-Sorbonne Universités (UPMC Univ. Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris 06)-CNRS-IRD-MNHN, UMR 7159, Laboratoire d’Océanographie et de Climatologie (LOCEAN), Institut Pierre Simon Laplace (IPSL), 4 Place Jussieu, F-75005 Paris, France
6 : IFREMER, DHYSED, ZI Pointe du Diable, 29280 Plouzané, France
Source Remote Sensing (2072-4292) (MDPI AG), 2020-09 , Vol. 12 , N. 18 , P. 2875 (22p.)
DOI 10.3390/rs12182875
WOS© Times Cited 4
Note This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Ocean Physics, Geochemistry and Biology from Unmanned Marine Vehicles
Keyword(s) glider, optics, acoustics, satellite, coastal hydrodynamics, suspended particulate matter, particulate fluxes, Gulf of Lions, Mediterranean
Abstract

The recent integration of Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs) onto underwater gliders changes the way current and sediment dynamics in the coastal zone can be monitored. Their endurance and ability to measure in all weather conditions increases the probability of capturing sporadic meteorological events, such as storms and floods, which are key elements of sediment dynamics. We used a Slocum glider equipped with a CTD (Conductivity, Temperature, Depth), an optical payload, and an RDI 600 kHz phased array ADCP. Two deployments were carried out during two contrasting periods of the year in the Rhone River region of freshwater influence (ROFI). Coastal absolute currents were reconstructed using the shear method and bottom tracking measurements, and generally appear to be in geostrophic balance. The responses of the acoustic backscatter index and optical turbidity signals appear to be linked to changes of the particle size distribution in the water column. Significantly, this study shows the interest of using a glider-ADCP for coastal zone monitoring. However, the comparison between suspended particulate matter dynamics from satellites and gliders also suggests that a synoptic view of the processes involved requires a multiplatform approach, especially in systems with high spatial and temporal variability, such as the Rhone ROFI area.

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Gentil Mathieu, Many Gaël, Durrieu De Madron Xavier, Cauchy Pierre, Pairaud Ivane, Testor Pierre, Verney Romaric, Bourrin François (2020). Glider-Based Active Acoustic Monitoring of Currents and Turbidity in the Coastal Zone. Remote Sensing, 12(18), 2875 (22p.). Publisher's official version : https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12182875 , Open Access version : https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00648/76039/