Skip Links

USGS - science for a changing world

Open File Report 00–458

>> Pubs Warehouse > OF 00-458 v. 4

Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) Data Processing System Manual

By Jessica M. Côté, Frances S. Hotchkiss, Marinna Martini, and Charles R. Denham

Thumbnail of and link to report PDF (386 KB)Abstract

This open-file report describes the data processing software currently in use by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center (WHCMSC), to process time series of acoustic Doppler current data obtained by Teledyne RD Instruments Workhorse model ADCPs. The Sediment Transport Instrumentation Group (STG) at the WHCMSC has a long-standing commitment to providing scientists high quality oceanographic data published in a timely manner. To meet this commitment, STG has created this software to aid personnel in processing and reviewing data as well as evaluating hardware for signs of instrument malfunction. The output data format for the data is network Common Data Form (netCDF), which meets USGS publication standards. Typically, ADCP data are recorded in beam coordinates. This conforms to the USGS philosophy to post-process rather than internally process data. By preserving the original data quality indicators as well as the initial data set, data can be evaluated and reprocessed for different types of analyses. Beam coordinate data are desirable for internal and surface wave experiments, for example. All the code in this software package is intended to run using the MATLAB program available from The Mathworks, Inc. As such, it is platform independent and can be adapted by the USGS and others for specialized experiments with non-standard requirements.

Revised June 4, 2012

Version 4

First posted November 2000

For additional information contact:
Director
U.S. Geological Survey
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
384 Woods Hole Road
Quissett Campus
Woods Hole, MA 02543
(508) 548-8700

http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/

Part or all of this report is presented in Portable Document Format (PDF); the latest version of Adobe Reader or similar software is required to view it. Download the latest version of Adobe Reader, free of charge.

Suggested citation:

Côté, J.M., Hotchkiss, F.S., Martini, Marinna, and Denham, C.R., 2011, Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) data processing system manual: U.S. Geological Survey Open File Report 00-458, v. 4, 51 p., at https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2000/of00-458/.

Contents

Abstract

Section 1. List of Modifications

Section 2. Overview

HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE

DATA TERMINOLOGY

BASIC PROCESSING

SETUP AND INSTALLATION

PROGRAM USE

CORRECTING FOR THE WRONG ORIENTATION

CONSIDERATIONS FOR WAVES DEPLOYMENTS

Splitting the Data

CORRECTING FOR LOCAL DECLINATION

SPECIAL FEATURES

Deployment Log File

Bottom Track Data

Section 3. Basic Processing

OVERVIEW OF TOOLBOX PROGRAMS

NAMING CONVENTIONS

GETTING STARTED

Program: fappend.m

Program: rdi2cdf.m

Program: fixEns.m

Program: runmask.m

Program: maskADCP

Program: fillmsk.m

Program: postmask.m

Program: trimbins.m

Program: findsurface.m

Program: adcp2ep.m

Program: runbm2g.m

Program: pressuremask.m

Program: fixorientation.m

Program: pressurecalcs.m

Program: checktime.m

Program: splitadcp.m

Section 4. Display and Analysis Programs

NCBROWSE

INTERACTIVE MASKING

TIME CHECKS

Section 5. Tips and Tools

INSTRUMENT SETUP

DEMO DATA SETS

BROADBAND DATA

TIME SAVERS

Runadcp/Rdi2cdf

Automated Processing

MAKING YOUR OWN MASKING PROGRAM

Section 6. Troubleshooting

ENCOUNTERING ERRORS

Ensemble trimming

Severely tilted ADCPs

ADCPs that can't see the surface

Section 8. Known Issues

WORKING WITH TWO BINARY FILES

WINRIVER II OUTPUT FILES

GAPS IN ENSEMBLE NUMBERS

Section 9. Selected References

Accessibility FOIA Privacy Policies and Notices

Take Pride in America logo USA.gov logo U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://pubsdata.usgs.gov/pubs/of/2000/of00-458/index.html
Page Contact Information: GS Pubs Web Contact
Page Last Modified: Wednesday, 07-Dec-2016 18:06:32 EST