Coastal current measurements using an ADCP in a streamlined sub-surface mooring buoy

A field test of a streamlined sub-surface mooring buoy, containing an acoustic Doppler current profiler, was performed in the winter of 2001/2002 at the entrance to Delaware Bay. Time series of pressure, tilts, and heading were analyzed to track the behavior of the mooring in the tidal current. Current measurements collected in a standard bottom-mounted platform served as a reference in assessing the quality of data collected in the mooring buoy. Tidal analyses were performed on both data sets. A comparison of several analysis products, including tidal constituents, tidal current predictions, and Greenwich intervals suggests no significant data degradation due to the sub-surface mooring dynamics. In light of the positive results from this test, NOAA's Ocean Service will begin to routinely use streamlined sub-surface moorings, when appropriate, for tidal current surveys.