Current Meter

Current meters on the Cabled Array measure the speed and direction of local currents, it also includes a temperature sensor. They are installed on the seafloor at Axial Seamount in conjunction with nearby broadband seismomteters because they provide important data for processing of seismic information. Local currents can induce "noise" into the acoustic signal and current meter data allows filtering of this "noise."

On Deep Profiler vehicles and on the Shallow Profiler Moorings, the  3-D Single Point Velocity Meters (VEL3D) measure the fluctuating velocity of water moving past the sensor and platform motion on moving profilers in three-dimensions (u,v,w). Current meters are also installed on the Benthic Experiment Platforms. Measurements from these instruments are important in understanding how heat, mass, and momentum are transported throughout the ocean.