Evaluation of the Accuracy of a Ship-Mounted, Bottom-Tracking ADCP in a Near-Shore Coastal Flow

Abstract

The accuracy of an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) used with an internal bottom-tracking system is considered. The boat speed measured using bottom tracking is extremely accurate, comparable to the speeds measured by a high-resolution, real-time kinematic global positioning system (KGPS). The accuracy in the direction of boat motion reported by the bottom tracking is limited to the accuracy of the internal compass of the ADCP. Directional differences (after correcting for local magnetic declination) are about 3° between the ADCP bottom tracking and KGPS. An error of this magnitude is shown to result in a maximal measurement error in water velocity of less than 6%. Nonetheless, an unexplained water velocity error is observed that is significantly larger than can be explained by a simple compass error. Repeated transects in opposing directions show a bias in measured water velocities in the direction of boat motion. The bias cannot be explained by an error in the compass or the bottom-tracked boat velocities. The difference in recorded velocity between two repeated transects with the boat moving in opposite directions exhibits an error of up to ±5 cm s?1 that has vertical variability.