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This table below identifies the types of sensors used on OCS moorings and lists their specifications. Most instrumental accuracies listed are based on historical pre-deployment and post-recovery calibrations and are the root mean square drift of a group of sensors. References where available are indicated by [#] in the comments column and listed at the end of the tables. Accuracies of sensors which have not been evaluated by the OCS or TAO project offices are those specified by the manufacturer and are indicated by [M].

In cases where sensors are paired with PMEL supplied electronics (e.g., analog to digital boards) calibrations include both the sensor and PMEL electronics. Accuracies listed here (with the exception of currents) do not include environmental factors such as wind (on rainfall) or buoy motion (on radiation). Measurement ranges listed are generally those over which the sensors are calibrated. The ranges over which a sensor will operate (determined by the sensor and/or PMEL electronics) are listed in parenthesis if they significantly exceed the calibration range.

Measurement Sensor type Manufacturer: Model # Resolution Range Accuracy Comments
Wind speed Propeller R.M. Young: 05103 0.2 m s-1

1 - 20 m s-1

(0.4 - 36 m s-1)

 ±0.3 m s-1 or 3%
 [7]
Sonic Vaisala: Ultrasonic WS425 0.1 m s-1 0-65 m s-1 ±0.135 m s-1 or 3% [M]
Sonic Gill: WindSonic 0.01 m s-1 0-60 m s-1 ±2% [M]
Wind direction Vane R.M. Young: 05103 1.4° 0-355° 5° - 7.8° [7]
Fluxgate compass E.G.and G. or KVH: 63764 or LP101-5 0-359°
Digital compass Sparton: SP3004D 0.1° 1.0° [M]
Sonic

Vaisala: Ultrasonic WS425

 1° ±2° [M]
Sonic Gill: WindSonic 1° ±3° [M]
Air temperature Pt-100 RTD (Resistance Temperature Recorder) Rotronic Instrument Corp.: MP-101

0.01°C

KEO: 4 - 32°C

Papa: -1 - 20°C

(0-40°C) 		±0.2°C [12]
Relative humidity Capacitance 0.4 %RH realtime

0.02 %RH delay mode

45-95 %RH

(0-100 %RH)

±2.7 %RH [12]
Rainfall Capacitance R. M. Young: 50203-34 0.2 mm hr-1 0-50 mm ±0.4 mm hr-1 on 10 min filtered data [6]
Downwelling shortwave radiation
 Pyranometer Eppley Laboratory: PSP-TAO, Delrin case 0.4 W m-2

200-1000 W m-2

(0-1600 W m-2)

±1% [M]
Downwelling longwave radiation Pyrgeometer Eppley Laboratory: PIR-TAO, Delrin case, 3-output (1) 0.1 W m-2

0.03°C

200 W m-2

@ 20°C (thermopile only)

±1% [M] Nominal calibration values used for case and dome thermistors
Barometric pressure Pressure transducer Paroscientific: MET1-2 0.1hPa

800 - 1100 hPa

 ±0.01% of reading [M]
GE: RPT350 750 - 1150 hPa ±0.01% of full scale
Sea surface and subsurface temperature Thermistor PMEL: NX ATLAS using YSI (Yellow Springs Instruments) thermistor 46006 0.001°C

6-32°C

(0-40°C)

±0.02°C [14], [9]
SeaBird Electronics: SBE37 & SBE39 0.001°C

1-31°C

(-5-35°C)

 ±0.003°C [3]
Salinity Internal field conductivity cell SeaBird Electronics: SBE16 (Seacat) 0.0001 S m-1

 

3-6 S m-1

(0-6 S m-1)

±0.02 psu [3] Based on SBE16 only. SBE37 assumed comparable.

Accuracy of PMEL electronics under evaluation
SBE37 (Microcat) 0.01 mS m-1
Sea Bird cell with PMEL electronics 0.002 S m-1
Water pressure Transducer Paine: 211-30-660-01 0.03 psi 400-800 psi (0-1000 psi) ±1.4psi [14]
Strain Gauge SeaBird 0.002% of range Full depth of inst. 0.1% of range [M]
Ocean current (profile) Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler RD Instruments: Narrow band, 150 kHz

0.1 cm s-1

 

( 0 - 256 cm s-1)

±5 cm s-1±2.5°C

 [5], [11]
RD Instruments: Workhorse Sentinel, 300kHz ±5 m s-1 ±0.5 cm s-1
Ocean current (point) Doppler current meter RD Instruments: DVS 0.1 cm s-1 ±6 m s-1 1.0% to 0.5 cm s-1 [M]
Nortek: Aquadopp ±5 m s-1 1.0% of velocity to ±0.5 cm s-1
SonTek: Argonaut ( 0 - 600 cm s-1)

±5 cm s-1

±5°C

 [10]
Oxygen Galvanic cell (lead-oxygen battery) using weak acid electrolyte Maxtec MAX-250   0-100% O2 ±2.0% full scale [M] June 2005 - June 2006
CO2 Single path, dual wavelength infrared gas analyzer Licor LI-820       June 2005-June 2006. Evaluation underway


References:

[1] Fairall, C. W., P. O. G. Persson, E.F. Bradley, R. E. Payne and S. P. Anderson, 1998: A new look at calibration and use of Eppley Precision Radiometers. Part I: Theory and Application. J. Atmos. Ocean. Tech., 15, 1229-1242.

[2] Freitag, H.P., Y. Feng, L.J. Mangum, M.J. McPhaden, J. Neander, and L.D. Stratton, 1994: Calibration procedures and instrumental accuracy estimates of TAO temperature, relative humidity and radiation measurements. NOAA Tech. Memo. ERL PMEL-104, 32 pp.

[3] Freitag, H.P., M.E. McCarty, C. Nosse, R. Lukas, M.J. McPhaden, and M.F. Cronin, 1999: COARE Seacat data: Calibrations and quality control procedures. NOAA Tech. Memo. ERL PMEL-115, 89 pp.

[4] Halpern, D., 1987: Comparison of upper ocean VACM and VMCM observations in the equatorial Pacific. J. Atmos. Ocean. Tech., 4, 84-93.

[5] Plimpton, P.E., H.P. Freitag, and M.J. McPhaden, 1995: Correcting moored ADCP data for fish-bias errors at 0°,110°W and 0°,140°W from 1990 to 1993. NOAA Tech. Memo. ERL PMEL-107, 49 pp.

[6] Serra, Y.L., P.A'Hearn, H.P. Freitag, and M.J. McPhaden, 2001: ATLAS self-siphoning rain gauge error estimates. J. Atmos. Ocean. Tech.,18, 1989-2002.

[7] Freitag, H.P., M. O'Haleck, G.C. Thomas, and M.J. McPhaden, 2001: Calibration procedures and instrumental accuracies for ATLAS wind measurements. NOAA. Tech. Memo. OAR PMEL-119, NOAA/Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Seattle, Washington, 20 pp.

[8] McCarty, M.E., and M.J. McPhaden, 1993: Mean seasonal cycles and interannual variations at 0, 165E during 1986-1992. NOAA Tech. Memo. ERL PMEL-98, 64pp.

[9] A'Hearn, P.N., H.P. Freitag, and M.J. McPhaden, 2002: ATLAS module temperature bias due to solar heating. NOAA Tech. Memo OAR PMEL-121, NOAA/Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Seattle, WA, 24 pp.

[10] Freitag, H.P., M.J. McPhaden, C.Meinig, and P.Plimpton, 2003: Mooring motion bias of point Doppler current meter measurements. In: Proceedings of the IEEE Seventh Working Conference on Current Measurement Technology, San Diego, CA, 13-15 March 2003, IEEE, Piscataway, NJ, 155-160.

[11] Plimpton, P.E., H.P. Freitag, and M.J. McPhaden, 2004: Processing of subsurface ADCP data in the equatorial Pacific. NOAA Tech. Memo OAR PMEL-125, NOAA/Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Seattle, WA. 41pp.

[12] Lake, B.J., S.M. Noor, H.P. Freitag, and M.J. McPhaden, 2003: Calibration procedures and instrumental accuracy estimates of ATLAS air temperature and relative humidity measurements. NOAA Tech. Memo. OAR PMEL-123, NOAA/Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Seattle, WA, 23 pp

[13] Payne, R.E., K. Huang, R.A. Weller, H.P. Freitag, M.F. Cronin, M.J. McPhaden, C. Meinig, Y. Kuroda, N. Ushijima, R.M. Reynolds, 2002: A comparison of buoy meteorological systems. WHOI Technical Report
WHOI-2002-10. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 67 pp.

[14] Freitag, H.P., T.A. Sawatzky, K.B. Ronnholm, and M.J. McPhaden, 2005: Calibration procedures and instrumental accuracy estimates of next generation ATLAS water temperature and pressure measurements. NOAA Tech. Memo. OAR PMEL-128, NTIS: PB2008-101764, NOAA/Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Seattle, WA, 22 pp.

 
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