Page 48: of Marine Technology Magazine (September 2013)

ATLAS-B The ATLAS system continues to evolve today with various upgraded technology and design changes incorporated into the global network. To enhance the PIRATA array in its capabil- ity of providing data for weather and climate forecasting, and to better understand the variability of the SACZ region, efforts began in 2009 to develop, build and deploy a new prototype buoy system internally, in Brazil. The Þ rst system, ATLAS-B, nicknamed ÒGuarirobaÓ (an endangered palm tree native to central-western Brazil, birthplace of Prof. Edmo Campos, AT- LAS-B project Principal Investigator) was assembled using a retired ATLAS buoy provided by PMEL to the IOUSP, a now standard buoy system in the Global Tropical Moored Buoy Array of TAO, RAMA and PIRATA. The buoy consists of a 2.3m Þ berglass/foam core toroid with a three-point aluminum tower and stainless steel bridle. Off-the-shelf electronic com- ponents and instruments for ATLAS-B were chosen to closely mirror data already being transmitted from PIRATA. Surface meteorology on ATLAS-B is measured with a Vais- ala WXT520 weather station: air temperature, relative humid- ity, barometric pressure, precipitation, wind speed and direc- tion mounted on a mast at 4m above sea level. Radiation is measured using an Eppley radiometer and pyranometer for short and long wave sampling at 3.5m. SST and conductiv- ity (salinity) are handled via a bridle mounted Sea-Bird Elec-tronics SBE-37 MicroCat directly connected to the controller. Sub-surface temperature and conductivity are measured at: 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, 140, 180, 300 and 500m. Redundant pressure is included at 300m and 500m. Data acquisition rate varies and is stored in memory. All in-water data are trans- mitted to the buoy controller by the process of ÒinductionÓ using Sea-Bird Inductive Modem Modules (IMM, a master SIM board in the buoy controller and one IMM internally in- tegrated into each SBE-37). Ocean Observation September 201348 MTRFigure 1 The PIRATA Monitoring Array, Tropical Atlantic Ocean MTR #7 (34-49).indd 48MTR #7 (34-49).indd 488/22/2013 11:14:14 AM8/22/2013 11:14:14 AM