Turpie introduces new Instrument Station

The WATERHYPERNET is a growing network with stations worldwide that provide measurements of radiance and irradiance data over water bodies. In July 2023, a new WATERHYPERNET instrument station was installed in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay, the first of its kind in North America. The station is set up to provide validation for the NASA Surface Biology and Geology mission, the NASA PACE mission, and ESA water observing missions. UMBC is responsible for station operation and maintenance as part of a collaboration with NASA GSFC, the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, and Flanders Marine Institute. The installation, which started in July 2023, required several trips to the tower to become operational.

According to Dr. Kevin Turpie (616/UMBC) and team, “Water-leaving spectral reflectance data from the new station will also provide a wealth of information regarding water quality and the environmental and ecological conditions in the Upper Bay.”

This tower is also being used by GSFC for an AERONET-OC SeaPRISM radiometer, with Dr. Dirk Aurin (616/MSU) as PI. Dr. Aurin assisted with the initial installation of the system and the projects intend to share resources and collaborate where possible.

The location is a US Coast Guard navigation tower that is roughly the height of a 9-story building. Access was granted from the US Coast Guard, who requires that climbers have certification in tower climbing and no less than two climbers access the tower for safety. Climbers were provided by GSFC, WFF, NOAA, RBINS, and VLIZ. Ocean surface and weather conditions must be taken into consideration; the team also will consider the safety to wildlife (e.g., nesting ospreys).