Glider Types and Sampling
The schematic and definitions below illustrate the sampling characteristics of a profiling glider. This vocabulary will be used in the glider files to enable easy access to one or more of these features from a glider deployment. For example, within a file or aggregations of files, the profile_id can be used to extract all of the data records corresponding to a single profile from within a dataset that may include hundreds or thousands of profiles.
- Profile
- A single vertically oriented track of a glider, either upward or downward through the water column. A profile is one-half of a dive.
- Dive
- A single vertical profile to depth followed by a vertical profile towards the surface. A dive does not necessarily begin with or terminate with a surfacing and/or gps fix.
- Segment
- The set of data collected between 2 gps fixes obtained while the glider is on the surface of the water. The first gps fix is acquired prior to the beginning of a dive and the second gps fix is acquired following the completion of at least one dive. Glider segments always consist of at least one, and possibly many dives.
- Deployment
- A series of one or more segments completed by a glider between the time of deployment and the time of recovery.