Scientists at Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) – a world leader in the field of marine research – are at the next stage of their ground-breaking efforts to understand and unravel the complexities of measuring wind on a moving platform, using Gill Instruments R3 3-axis anemometers.
Even on a tranquil day when the wind is still, floating platforms move due to waves generated by weather systems many miles away. Platform motions contaminate wind observations and create the appearance of wind. This is a phenomena that has confounded wind observations for decades.
The Air-Sea Exchange team at PML has unique, world-leading expertise in correcting for the motion contamination of wind sensors, and has teamed up with Gill Instruments to work on a configuration to attempt to correct wind speeds in near-real time.
PML will shortly be launching a prototype system on their new state-of-the-art monitoring buoy – part of Smart Sound Plymouth – which includes Gill’s 3-axis (3D) R3 ultrasonic anemometer. The buoy will be deployed at PML’s long-term monitoring station in the English Channel (the Western Channel Observatory) and will collect preliminary data to optimise the motion correction.
We’ll keep you posted as their research evolves.
This project is linked with recent funding awards aimed at developing autonomous observing capabilities, specifically the Advances in Air-Sea Exchange using Autonomy (ASEauto) project.
PML’s state-of-the-art monitoring buoy (wind system circled)
