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Rockland Scientific VMP-250 Turbulence Profiler

Rockland Scientific VMP 250 Turbulence Profiler being deployed during the Fatima-Yellow Sea Campaign
Rockland Scientific VMP 250 Turbulence Profiler being deployed during the Fatima-Yellow Sea Campaign
Rockland Scientific VMP 250 Turbulence Profiler onboard ship during Fatima-Yellow Sea Campaign
Rockland Scientific VMP 250 Turbulence Profiler onboard ship during Fatima-Yellow Sea Campaign

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upper ocean properties are of great importance in fog research since air-sea fluxes, upper-layer turbulence, sea surface temperature (SST) and wave characteristics all determine the dynamics and moisture availability in the marine surface layer. The Notre Dame group is in the possession of a VMP-500 deep water Vertical Microstructure Profiler, and it has been successfully used in ONR projects such as MISO-BOB, ASIRI and CASPER. Data from the top 5-10 m of the ocean of VMP500, however, are nugatory because of contamination, thus thwarting the probing of most-useful oceanic layer for fog (air-sea coupling) research. Its manufacturer, Rockland Scientific, has now developed a new generation of compact and robust profiler with ‘uprising’ capabilities and superior performance that vividly fits into future project needs. The ‘uprising’ is accomplished by inverting the orientation of front bulkhead by activating a ‘buoyancy collar’ that stably pull the instrument toward the ocean surface at a constant speed (0.3 – 1 m s-1). Called VMP-250 Turbulence Profiler, it has the same general attributes of VMP-500 but rated to 500 m depth with optional upgrade to 1000 m [vis-à-vis 1000-m (optional 2000-m) rating of VMP-500]. In the ‘uprising’ mode, VMP-250 pierces the surface, providing data from ~ 1 mm below the surface down to 100 m (determined by thermistor and shear probe resolution), providing extremely useful data on air-sea coupling. Deck-space economy aboard RV is another attribute of VMP-250.

VMP-250 is supplied with two shear probes, one micro-thermistor (FP-07), two vibration sensors, nose-mounted combo conductivity-temperature CT sensor (from JAE Advantech), one pressure sensor, one tilt sensor and a winch. VMP-250 records data internally on a memory card, and the battery and memory allow for up to 24 hours of continuous autonomous operation. Repeated profiling without recovering the profiler between deployments is possible, and at the end of the profiling series, the recorded data are read out through a USB connector at the rear bulkhead.