Operational oceanography using the new SeaSoar undulator

SeaSoar is a towed undulating vehicle capable of achieving undulations from surface to 500 metres at speeds of around eight knots. To achieve this, the SeaSoar is towed from a standard Rochester cable fitted with a set length of fairing. It has a significant enclosed payload area, relying on external wings to provide the efficient hydrodynamic lift and dive forces. The SeaSoar wing angle is set by a hydraulic actuator powered from an externally mounted rear impeller. Control of the SeaSoar is achieved via a real time link to an on deck PC, with feedback from a depth sensor (either independent or from a fitted CTD). The SeaSoar towed undulating vehicle had been originally developed around 30 years ago at the Institute of Oceanographic Sciences (IOS), now Southampton Oceanography Centre (SOC) of the U.K. The SeaSoar soon after became commercially available through collaboration with Chelsea Technologies Group (CTG). For the first time, physical oceanographers throughout the world could make high resolution, nearly instantaneous maps of the properties of the upper layers of the ocean to depths of nearly 500 metres. The importance of the most energetic oceanic flows could at last be determined.