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Instrument Platform Details
Vertical Profiler System
The Vertical Profiler System (VPS) is a mobile instrument platform. It consists of a seafloor base unit and a tethered float. A winch on the base unit raises and lowers the float, which bristles with instrumentation for monitoring:
- salinity
- temperature
- dissolved gases and nutrients
- currents
- plankton and fish concentrations, and
- marine mammal movements
The VPS is designed for installation at a depth of 396m. Cable spooled on the platform is long enough for the float to extend to the surface, allowing scientists to capture data throughout the water column.
Malfunction and Recovery
After deployment in August 2009, a significant problem developed: the instrument float could be extended upward, but it could not be retracted back down to the base platform. Our only recourse was to recover the VPS and bring it back to Victoria for repairs. This was done during the May 2010 installation & maintenance cruise.
Learn more
Instruments on this platform
- Satlantic upwelling radiometer
- Satlantic downwelling radiometer
- ASL acoustic water column profiler
- WETlabs Fluorometer
- Pro-Oceanus CO2 sensor
- Naxys hydrophone
- Seabird SBE19plus Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD) sensor
- Nortek Aquadopp Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP)
- WETlabs ECO Backscatter transmissometer/fluorometer
- Aanderaa oxygen optode
- Satlantic Nitrate Sensor
Instruments positioned nearby
The VPS base platform has two cameras and some other sensors associated with the mechanical assembly, but all scientific sensors are affixed to the profiler float unit.
Location
Connected to Barkley Slope/Canyon node on 25 Aug 2009 from the R/V Thompson.
- Depth: 0.0m
- Lat: N
- Lon: W
Overview map showing platforms and instruments in the Barkley Upper Slope area. (Click to enlarge.)
Photos
Click the images to see enlarged pictures with full captions.
 Instruments on one side of the float.  Instruments on another side of the float.  Instruments on a third side of the float. |
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 Top of VPS instrument float.
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Installed Platforms
Barkley Canyon/Slope
Barkley Upper SlopeBarkley Hydrates
Barkley Benthic Pod 2
Vertical Profiler System
Hydrates Crawler
Barkley Canyon Axis (Pod 1)
Barkley Benthic Pod 3
Barkley Benthic Pod 4
Folger Passage
Folger DeepFolger Pinnacle
ODP 889
ODP 889 Instrument PlatformODP 889 Seismometer Auxiliary Platform
ODP 1027
ODP 1027 Instrument PlatformP.O. Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria BC, Canada, V8W 2Y2
1 250 472 5400 | Contact Us
