Lady Amber
R/V Lady Amber

Generic-Atmospheric State (Gen-AtmsState) refers to non-specific instruments on a platform used for measurements of atmospheric state parameters. These are typically in situ sensors that measure temperature, pressure, humidity, and wind speed/direction. Types of atmospheric state instruments include thermometers, hygrometers, barometers, and anemometers.

Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth (CTD) sensors are in situ instruments used to measure water depth, pressure, salinity, temperature, and density in the ocean. CTD sensors can be deployed on various water-based platforms such as autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), buoys, gliders, or research vessels. When mounted on a vessel, CTD sensors are usually attached to a rosette and then lowered to the seafloor to record water properties. These sensors typically sample at 30 Hz and can provide accurate measurements at specific water depths according to the researcher's needs.

Rain gauges are ground-based instruments that measure liquid precipitation amounts directly over a specified period. Different rain gauges, such as tipping buckets and weighing gauges, collect and record data in various ways. Because of their small size and easy setup, rain gauges can be placed in different locations and are often used alongside other precipitation instruments like disdrometers to gather more details, such as precipitation rate and size distribution.

A thermosalinograph (TSG) is an in situ shipborne instrument used to measure sea surface temperature and conductivity. TSGs are typically mounted near the ship’s seawater intake where they collect continuous measurements. A TSG uses a conductivity cell and a thermistor cell to measure conductivity and temperature from underway vessels. These measurements can be used to derive salinity and other ocean parameters.

Salinity Snake is a water-based instrument developed by Earth and Space Research (ESR) to measure sea surface salinity and temperature. It consists of two steel spiral rubber hoses mounted on a boom on the starboard side of the research vessel, positioning the hoses outside its wake. The device collects undisturbed water samples at depths of 1 to 2 cm. These samples are then pumped to a thermosalinograph (TSG) to measure conductivity and sea surface temperature to determine salinity.

A pyrgeometer is a ground-based or airborne passive radiation sensor. It measures downward and upward longwave radiation in the 4-50 μm spectral range. Pyrgeometers measure changes in resistance/voltage using a thermopile sensor to determine longwave radiation. These measurements can be used to calculate the infrared radiation flux. Pyrgeometers are typically used for climatological, meteorological, and agricultural applications.

A pyranometer is a ground-based or airborne radiation sensor that measures solar irradiance across a hemispherical field of view. It detects the amount of solar energy reaching the surface, capturing both direct and diffuse sunlight. Pyranometers operate within a spectral range of 280-3000 nm. They are most commonly used for solar monitoring, climate research, weather forecasting, agriculture, and energy management.