Instrumentation and Remote Sensing

The SkadiNu collective is highly experienced in developing bespoke and integrated data collection solutions.

Our team has experience in designing and using a range of observational platforms for sampling environmental variables, using satellite and remote sensing methods (including drones, helicopters and aircraft), and atmosphere ice and ocean deployable monitoring systems.

Our strengths are being able to develop bespoke monitoring systems that rely primarily on integrating across ‘off the shelf ‘systems for use in developing improved predictive systems. These systems include fit-for-purpose power and telemetry solutions to provide autonomous operations at low cost.

Our team has internationally recognised track-record in successfully developing and installing monitoring equipment in some of the most remote and harshest environments on the planet, under incredibly difficult operational conditions.

The success of our methods is evidenced by the range of project experience of our team and the accompanying internationally peer-reviewed publications to high impact journals.

We offer:

• Proven capability to design survey instruments.
• Assistance with procurement, or preparation of documentation to facilitate the procurement of technical survey instruments.
• We can also prepare specifications for the capture of data, and review data collection methodologies,or plans.
• We can provide needs analysis services to assist in designing and scoping instrumentation and/or a data sampling project.

Examples of remote field instrumentation that our team has worked with includes:

• Oceanographic sampling: XCTDs, XBTs, Moorings, ADCPs, full CTD rosette analysis (including physical and chemical components), trace-element sample rosette (including physical and chemical components), sediment trap moorings, atmospheric aerosol samplers, iceberg sampling equipment, in situ particulate filtration systems (over multiple projects), oceanographic mooring instruments, and data from instrumenting boreholes drilled through ice
• Oceanographic and atmospheric state measurements: Physical parameters that we work with include sea surface height, temperature, salinity, and currents; biogeochemistry data; air-sea fluxes of heat salt and other variables; atmospheric variables (wind, pressure, temperature, humidity, and precipitation).
• Mapping: Data analysis required for developing bathymetry maps, compiled from a range of sources and experience, including marine geophysical survey results, including shallow seismic, multibeam bathymetry and side scan sonar backscatter.
• Autonomous platform experience in remote areas: Our team members have experience working with AUVs, including the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) developed by the Australian Maritime College (AMC), at the University of Tasmania, valued at AUD$7 million. The AUV is one of only a couple of facilities available in the world, with capability to explore the deepest, darkest and coldest places on the planet, provide unique data sets to our team of researchers.
• Airborne instrumentation and probe deployment experience: Low-altitude fixed wing aircraft-based deployments of ocean probes (XCTDs, XBTs) in sea ice covered regions.
• Remote area instruments: Including Automatic Weather Stations (AWS), GPS, passive seismometers, and autonomous radar units.
• Geophysical surveys: Including data from active and passive seismic data collection over Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets, and analysis of geophysical survey data from ground water reservoirs using resistivity and transient electromagnetics to map complex shallow structures.

Remote Sensing and Satellite Data