Principal Investigator Harold Hemond
Capabilities for in-situ chemical sensing are increasingly necessary to obtain the improved spatiotemporal resolution essential to make advances in the understanding and improvement of water quality. In-situ measurement also makes chemical information available quickly, allowing quick responses as necessary while obviating the need for costly sample preservation and transport. Deployment aboard AUVs (autonomous underwater vehicles), particularly in concert with underwater data networks, further multiplies the potential benefits of in-situ chemical measurement. This work builds on our invention of the cycloidal underwater mass spectrometer (such as used to monitor the recent Gulf oil spill) and now also includes research into optical sensors for nonvolatile compounds and electrochemical sensors for ionic measurement.