Monitoring Arctic Ocean Hydrography Using Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

• Main Author: Bellingham, James G
• Other Authors: MASSACHUSETTS INST OF TECH CAMBRIDGE SEA GRANT PROJECT OFFICE
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2001
• Subjects: Physical and Dynamic Oceanography; Hydrology; Limnology and Potamology; Submarine Engineering; *ARCTIC OCEAN; *HYDROGRAPHY; *UNDERWATER VEHICLES; CLIMATE CHANGE; MONITORING; OCEAN BASINS; UNMANNED; *ARCTIC OCEAN HYDROGRAPHY; *AUV(AUTONOMOUS UNDERWATER VEHICLES); ARCTIC BASIN; Arctic; Arctic Ocean; Arctic Basin; Climate change; Global warming
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA626125; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA626125

Our goal is to greatly increase access to the Arctic Ocean by creating and demonstrating a safe and economical platform capable of basin-scale surveys. Specifically, we are developing a Autonomous Underwater Vehicle for Arctic research with unprecedented endurance, and the capability to relay data through the ice to satellites. We will provide a means of monitoring changes taking place in the Arctic Ocean and investigate its impact on global warming. The vehicle will also be capable of seafloor surveys throughout the Arctic basin. Such a capability is of national and global interest and importance.