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NSF PR 98-56 - September 24, 1998
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Nearshore Observatory Leads to Long-Term Meteorological
and Oceanographic Studies
Real-Time Data to Be Shared
Via the World Wide Web and Internet
Real-time data on coastal storms, on movement of sand
that buries harbor entrances and inlets, and on the
impact of winds on shoreline processes will soon be
available through a new nearshore observatory planned
off the south coast of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.
Scientists funded by the National Science Foundation
(NSF) and affiliated with the Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institution (WHOI) are undertaking the project.
"As oceanography continues to evolve from an exploratory
endeavor, requiring long-term, multi-parameter measurements,
the ability to make observations of ocean processes
over periods of years is becoming increasingly important,"
says Larry Clark, program director in NSF's division
of ocean sciences, which funded the project. "Recent
technological advances have enabled the establishment
of seafloor observatories that are connected to shore
by a dedicated cable. The ability to continuously
receive and record oceanographic data and communicate
with scientific instruments on the seafloor promises
to advance ocean science knowledge and predictive
capabilities."
The Katama Observatory will be developed, built and
installed off Edgartown on the island's south coast.
The observatory will collect information 24 hours
a day for studies of coastal meteorology, air-sea
interaction, sediment transport, benthic biological
processes, and gas transfer. The data will be shared
in real-time with local officials, students, other
scientists, and the public through the Internet.
The observatory will be barely visible to the public,
since much of the hardware will be offshore and all
cables will be underground. It will consist of a small
shore station, a 20-foot tall meteorological mast
with atmospheric sensors, and two nodes for oceanic
sensors located on the seafloor in approximately 35
and 50 feet of water. The shore station will be located
above the highest high-tide mark at the Katama Air
Park in Edgartown near the hanger facilities. The
shore station will be connected to the existing local
power lines and will also have a backup generator
that will automatically engage during power failures,
such as during hurricanes and Nor'easters. An instrumented
mast will be erected close to shore to provide a continuous
stream of atmospheric data, such as wind speed and
direction, temperature and humidity, solar and infrared
radiation, and carbon dioxide concentrations. The
meteorological mast will look much like a heavy-duty
flag pole and is expected to be placed near the Katama
Lifeguard House. It will be the first extensively
instrumented nearshore meteorological station in the
region.
The shore station, meteorological mast, and oceanic
nodes will be connected together with underground
cable that will be placed beneath the airfield runway,
under Herring Creek, Atlantic Drive, the dunes, and
South Beach. The cable will be installed through a
technique called directional drilling and will run
underground from the shore station, under the beach
and out to sea, such that no part of the cable is
visible.
Data from all sensors will be transmitted via the
cable from the nodes to a computer in the shore station,
where it will be logged continuously and made available
to scientists and the public through Internet connections.
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