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INSTRUMENTATICN FLAN
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sne usefulness of anowledge of oottom depth is dependent on corresponding «nowledge cr the geograpnical location where the depth measurement is made.
In Yact, tue problem of determining the location of
tne snio is more complicated ana iifficult tnan tne determination of
deptn.
For this reason more effort was devoted to tne location procedures tnan ~o tne depth measurements, coth in the planning and preparation Dhase anc in the measurement phase.
Colel

deptn Measurement

Wepth was measured witn a standard recording sonic echo fathometer

designed for small ships, Model NK-G.

This Pathometer cperates et 14.25

keps anc et a repetition rate of l/sec om the "foot" scale, which has

a maximum of 200 Ft.
Tne transducer, of tne dounle-unit magnetostriction type, was
mounted outboard of tne LCU assigned to the project, and the recorder
was mounted inside a trailer whicn also housed equipment for tracking
and plotting.
The fatnometer recording paper had a depth scale of 1
in. per 30 ft of deptn and a paper speed of 1 in. /min.
Since the speed
of tne voat during survey operat ions was about 6 knots or 600 ft/min,
the chart represents a bottom pro“ile with the depth dimension expanded
by a factor of approximately 2C.
“ne calibration was accompiishned by two procedures. First it
was determined py finding a uniform hard bottom and checking the fatnometer readings against a lead .ine.
By this method a satisfactory
calibration was accomplisned in avout 4 nr with all points grouped
closely around a straignt line snowing a 2-ft zero error and a slope
such that the
was GO rt.

fatnometer read &

“+ when the actual (lead line) depth

Tne second procedure for calibration made use of a corner reflector.
Tris reflector was lowered directly below the fathometer head
on @ cotton line which had been previously measured and marked.
The
calibration oy this method gave tne result that the fathometer read
depth correctly except for a 2eft zero error (which is accounted for
by tne fact tnat the transducers were approximately 2 ft below the

water surface).

Simce tne surveys were taken under varying tide heights, it was
necessary tc reduce all depth readings to a common datum plane.
The
plane used was tnat on which tne tide tables are based, namely 1/2 ft
below mean low-water springs.
Recording tide-gages were operated by
Holmes and Nerver, Inc., (HEN ) at several islands in the atoll.
The
gage readings were witnin 1/2 ft .f the published tabular values.
The time interval spanned :y a survey was ordinarily no more
than 4 rr and the tide change dur:ng such an interval was less than 2
ft.
Consequently the tide correction for eacn survey has been made by
plotting tne tabular values from tne tables, drawing a smooth curve,
and noting tne nearest integral Z:ot of tide height at the mid-time of
the survey.

Tnis value of tide neight was subtracted from the depth

values noted oy fathometer (after taxing account of its calibration).

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