The Cyclesonde - A Practical Profiler for Upper Ocean Current and CTD Measurements

The Cyclesonde is an automatic autonomous vertical profiling device which rises and falls on a taut wire mooring making measurements on both the ascending and descending part of its profile cycle. About 30,000 velocity profiles have been recorded by Cyclesondes to date which is believed to be more than all other methods combined. Most of these recordings have been made during more than a dozen oceanographic experiments on continental shelves and in the upper 200-400 meters of the deep ocean. The remainder supplied crucial information during the installation of the largest offshore platform ever built (COGNAC) in the Gulf of Mexico at a depth of over 300 meters, Collipp et al. (1979). The discussion below will briefly cover the evolution of the Cyclesonde, the design philosophy, sampling errors and possible future direction. This article is from 'Near Surface Ocean Experimental Technology Workshop Proceedings Held at Naval Ocean Research and Development Activity, NSTL Station, Mississippi on 6-8 November 1979,' AD-A126 582.