Thirty years of research and development of Lagrangian buoys at the Institute of Marine Sciences

Abstract

Since the mid-1980s, physical oceanographers at the Institute of Marine Sciences have been involved in the use of Lagrangian drifters as a complementary technology for their oceanographic research. As Lagrangian observations became more feasible, these researchers continued developing their own drifters in what was to be the seed of current technological activities at the Physical and Technological Oceanography Department. In this paper we overview the work done during the last 30 years with special focus on Lagrangian developments from the initial activities to the latest developments. In addition to basic oceanography research applications, Lagrangian technological developments include prototypes for measuring surface and subsurface ocean properties, for tracking purposes in search and rescue operations and pollution events, and for monitoring ice motion and thickness in the Arctic. The paper emphasizes original and unpublished technical aspects related to the latest developments.

Keywords

• lagrangian drifters
• sea surface measurements
• salinity measurements
• oil spills drifters
• smos