Automated XBT launcher for use on ships-of-opportunity

Currently the NOAA Volunteer Observing Ship network employs a large number of merchant vessels to make routine expendable bathythermograph (XBT) and meteorological measurements throughout the world's oceans. While these data have proven to be very useful there is a need to improve the quality and increase the density of the observations. The XBT profiles are frequently compromised due to the need to launch the probe from less than optimal locations on the ship. Also, the ship's officers can only commit a limited amount of time to this work which severely limits the number of XBT deployments. To prove the XBT measurements, an automated XBT launcher was designed and is currently being tested. It consists of a light weight, compact launcher mechanism which is linked to a personal computer that performs all control functions and logs data from the deployments. The launcher can be loaded with six probes and can be placed at any location on the ship. The deployments can then be made automatically at predetermined times or geographical positions as determined from a GPS navigation receiver. The system is currently being used for high density XBT surveys on a Mexican registered freighter running between Spain and Mexico.