Observing ocean-atmosphere interaction from the poles to the tropics with an AutoNaut autonomous surface vehicle

This project will use the exciting new wave-propelled autonomous surface vehicle AutoNaut (to be named Caravela), ordered in 2017 and recently delivered. Its purchase was funded through the European Research Council Advanced Grant COMPASS awarded to primary supervisor Karen Heywood. It is to be a unique vehicle, specially designed to carry, and deploy, a Seaglider. The PhD studentship is timely because, by being involved from the beginning, the student will have the opportunity to learn the operation and use of the vehicle and sensors alongside the project investigators, researchers and technicians. This will give the student a sense of independence and novelty, together with teamwork skills. Obviously there are some risks with the development of a new technique, but the project has been designed with backup plans.

UEA has developed a good working relationship with AutoNaut Ltd, an SME based in Chichester. Together we are designing and testing the novel mechanisms for carrying and deploying the Seaglider into remote environments that AutoNaut are building for us through the COMPASS project. In addition, we are Co-Investigators of a current Innovate UK funded project, led by AutoNaut Ltd, trialling anti-icing coatings and testing robustness for AutoNaut in the Roland von Glasow Sea Ice Chamber. This studentship will build upon both initiatives and strengthen our collaborations, offering a unique opportunity to the student to be involved with a marine business and see how engineering challenges are addressed.

Caravela will be trialled in late 2019 in UK waters and we anticipate that the student will participate in these trials, learning about operation, deployment and piloting of the vehicle, together with assessment of the sensors and data quality. Our first science trial is January-February 2020, taking advantage of an invitation to co-supervisor Ben Webber to participate in a major European project Eurec4a. Eurec4a is an air-sea interaction campaign, with aircraft, ships and land-based activities. As a contribution to the project, we will launch Caravela from Barbados, and she will travel to the study region, where she will deploy the profiling Seaglider. After the field campaign, the Seaglider will be recovered by one of the ships and Caravela will return to Barbados under her own wave-power. Deploying a Seaglider in conjunction with Caravela will enable us to quantify the impact of atmospheric fluxes on the development of the upper ocean boundary layer.

The student's second field campaign will be a deployment of AutoNaut in early 2021 in the Antarctic, either in the Amundsen Sea in conjunction with the NERC-funded TARSAN project (part of the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration) or in the Weddell Sea in conjunction with the NERC-funded PICCOLO project (part of the NERC programme RoSES). Primary supervisor Karen Heywood is the PI of both projects. These projects involve deployments of autonomous vehicles to investigate the interactions between ocean, atmosphere and sea ice.

The student will join COAS, a centre of excellence in atmospheric and oceanographic science. They will be part of the UEA Glider Science group, that operates as a cooperative with all students being involved in glider deployments, trials and piloting as part of their training.