Abstracts

Discussions with oceanographers at the recent Arctic Circulation workshop at Lamont revealed a desire to make observations down to 4000-5000 meters depth in the Arctic Ocean.  This is not feasible from an ice camp with presently available instruments.  A concept will be presented for an expendable instrument, which reports measurements back to the surface by acoustic modem.  Acoustic modem technology has been demonstrated to provide reliable digital data transmission at distances up to 5000 meters.  A modem transmitter can be incorporated into an expendable probe containing a CTD sensor or other instruments, and telemeter measurements back to a receiver supported by a transducer suspended in the water beneath the ice canopy.  The same concept can be extended to provide deep measurements from a submarine operating beneath the ice, in which case the probe would be deployed through the ship’s trash disposal unit, and the modem receiver supported by a transducer mounted on the submarine’s hull.