Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP)

Northumbria University has procured an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) to support the Drivers of Oceanic Change in the Amundsen Sea (DeCAdeS) project. This specialized oceanographic equipment is critical for the continuous, long-duration, and high-precision mapping of continuous, high-resolution vertical current velocity profiles across the wider water column beneath and around ice shelves in extreme environments. The instrument ensures the gathering and high-reliability retrieval of vital, column-wide hydrodynamic parameters—including current speed gradients, directional vectors, and acoustic backscatter data layers—allowing researchers to analyze ocean-ice interactions and support advanced research into ice shelf evolution upon completion of the monitoring cycle. The selected provider was chosen as the successful bidder as their proposal offered the best combination of technical compliance, reliability, and integration compatibility with existing project infrastructure, while meeting the precise scientific specifications required for this research framework.