An Autonomous Expendable Conductivity, Tempemture, Depth Profiler For Ocean Data Collection

An Autonomous Expendable Conductivity-Temperature-Depth Profiler (AXCTD) for profiling temperature, conductivity, pressure, and other parameters in remote oceanic regions is described. The AXCTD is a microcomputer-controlled sensor package that can be deployed by unskilled operators from ships or aircraft. It records two CTD profiles (one during descent and another during ascent) and CTD times series while on the bottom and adrift at the surface. Recorded data are transmitted to an ARGOS satellite with ground-positioning capabilities. The AXCTD can provide ``sea truth`` for remote sensing, perform environmental and military surveillance missions, and acquire time-series and synoptic data for computer models.