Development of
a GPS-GPRS tracked surface drifter for monitoring of surface currents in tidally
dominated estuaries
Jaini Sara Babu, Kochuparampil Ajith Joseph and Roshin P. Raj
Disaster Advances; Vol. 18(1); 38-45;
doi: https://doi.org/10.25303/181da038045; (2025)
Abstract
The Vembanad estuary is one of the largest estuarine systems in India, heavily influenced
by monsoonal variations and coastal dynamics. As industrial development and navigation
activities increase in the region, understanding the estuary's circulation patterns,
predominantly driven by tidal currents, has become crucial. This is essential for
assessing the dispersal of industrial waste, sediment transport and ensuring safe
and efficient navigation for meeting any disaster preparedness. However, collecting
precise circulation data near shorelines remains difficult with traditional field
deploying current meters and satellite altimeters due to different logistic challenges
and land-sea interactions respectively.
Additionally, advanced instruments such as Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs)
are not well-suited for shallow water environments. To address this challenge, an
indigenously developed surface drifter, based on the Lagrangian technique, has been
designed and tested for real-time monitoring of circulation and tidal currents in
the estuary. The drifter is equipped with a GPS (Global Positioning System) module
and a GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) module, allowing for real-time tracking.
By analyzing GPS data collected at regular intervals, current patterns in the estuarine
region can be effectively studied. A comparison between current flow patterns measured
by the surface drifter and an in situ current meter demonstrated a strong correlation,
validating the drifter’s accuracy in capturing estuarine circulation data which
signifies the utility of such devices for remotely monitoring.
