How to Measure the Ramsey Coastal Currents

1. Where is Ramsey?

Ramsey is a quaint coastal town on the north coast of the Isle of Man, in the Irish Sea. This strategic position has provided Ramsey with a long-standing and deep-rooted relationship with the sea, which has played a major role in its growth, economy, and the way of life of its people.

The town has a rich history. It has been a significant port since centuries, with fishing, trade, and shipbuilding history too. The Ramsey town boasts of traditional but contemporary architectural influences. Traditional old fashioned stone-built houses with typically Manx flair are found near the town center. Thicker solid walls, minute-framed windows, steeply pitched roofs, and such houses with the semblance of a bygone classic charm are often observed. There are newer buildings within the harbor and the central roads. These include newer shops, cafes, and accommodation centers for both the residents and the tourists who visit every year. The combination of old-world ambiance and new comforts makes for a cozy and unique atmosphere.

The people of Ramsey also have a close emotional bond with the sea. Fishing has been a cottage industry for many years and has been passed down from one generation to another. Although the magnitude of the fishing industry has changed over the years, there are still some local fishermen who continue to set off from the harbor. They come back with mackerel, herring, and lobster catches. The harbor is not only utilized for fishing purposes but also as a general destination for locals and tourists who take boat rides. People can witness the sea air that is fresh and cool, the seabirds flying high above, and the beautiful landscapes of the Irish Sea.

Water and beaches off Ramsey are of utmost importance to the surrounding ecology. Irish Sea water in these areas is occupied by diverse ocean creatures. There are seals quite often on sandbanks, as well as gulls, terns, and guillemots often noticed. The seabed is topographically variable, featuring sandy bottom, intermittent rocky outcrops, and submerged channels. These are not only the home of a dense biodiversity but are also important for their role in the water movement.

2. How's the Status of the Coastal Currents Off Ramsey?

The coastal currents off Ramsey depend on a number of factors. The tidal forces are one of the most significant among them. Irish Sea experiences semi-diurnal tides, i.e., two highs and two lows per day. The tidal range is unpredictable, and the resultant tidal currents can be up to 2 - 3 knots in some areas, especially at the mouth of small inlets or where there is a distinct coastal form. At high tide, water enters the shore carrying nutrients and sediments from the open sea. This enhances the marine ecosystem in the vicinity, which provides food and protection to sea creatures. At low tide, the water recedes, leaving the intertidal zones open to small crabs, sea anemones, and other types of seaweed.

Wind is another factor to be considered. Prevailing south - westerly winds can propel surface waters onto the coast, piling up the coastal currents. The winds also generate waves that can mix with the currents and hence create more complex flow. Northerly winds can push the water away from the shore. The shape of the coast, with its headlands and bays, and the characteristic northern Manx coast, causes the currents to diverge and converge in different places. Underwater rock outcrops and sandbars also contribute to the complexity of the current patterns. These could be barriers or channels, deflecting the water flow and creating areas of calm or disturbed water. Furthermore, the influx of freshwater from tiny local streams is capable of impacting the local currents. The freshwater, being less dense than sea water, forms a layer near the surface and flows seawards, combining with the tidal and wind-driven currents.

3. How to Observe the Coastal Water Flow of Ramsey?

Surface Drifting Buoy Method

Surface drifting buoys are an efficient but simple way of measuring the surface-level currents surrounding Ramsey. Surface drifting buoys are equipped with GPS or satellite-based tracking mechanisms. Once placed in the water, the surface currents carry them. Scientists are able to follow their path in the long run. By tracking the path of the buoy, they can assume the speed and direction of surface waters. But this method has a limited applicability of only the top few meters of the water column. It can even fail to effectively capture what's happening down at the lower levels of the water, where currents can be different due to impacts of temperature and changes in salinity.

Moored Ship Method

Utilizing the moored ship method entails an anchored ship standing at one location near Ramsey's shoreline. Then, present-measuring instruments like electromagnetic current meters are employed. These instruments can measure the water flow in different depths. They provide a comprehensive vertical velocity and direction profile of the current. Nevertheless, this method is restricted to one point. In addition, the presence of the ship can be able to disrupt the natural flow of the water. The form of the vessel hull and how it is berthed can disturb the water, which may affect the readings.

Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) Method

ADCPs revolutionized coastal current measurement at Ramsey. ADCPs can measure the whole water column from the surface to the sea bed velocity profile. ADCPs measure non - intrusively the water flow using sound waves. They generate acoustic pulses and measure the Doppler shift of the backscattered signals off suspended water constituents such as sediment, plankton, or microbubbles. From this, they are able to calculate the current velocity at different depths. This gives an integrated view of the current structure and is perfectly suited to determining the complex patterns of coastal currents around Ramsey.

4. What Does High-Quality Measurement of Ramsey Coastal Currents Require?

Equipment Material Reliability

High-quality measurement of Ramsey coastal currents requires equipment material reliability to a large extent. The ADCP current meter casing must be made of a material that can withstand the corrosive Irish Sea marine environment. A good material is titanium alloy. Its resistance to intense water flow, potential hit against floating debris, and corrosive effect of sea water is strong. Its low elastic modulus also provides it with flexibility such that it cannot be easily damaged by mechanical stress. Its strong corrosion resistance also means that the ADCP flow meter can be submerged in water for long time monitoring without its working condition being significantly degraded.

Small Size, Light Weight, Low Power Consumption, and Low Cost

A light weight and small ADCP current profiler is easier to install and deploy. You can mount it on a small research vessel, suspend it from a buoy, or simply put it on the seabed. It also has less impact on the natural water flow, leading to more accurate measurements. Low power consumption is required for independent monitoring over the long term, especially in battery-powered systems. A low-cost ADCP enables mass deployment. This is required in comprehending well the complex coastal current regime around Ramsey. The more ADCPs that are deployed in other locations, the better we will comprehend how the currents vary in the region.

5. Selecting the Right Equipment to Measure Currents?

By Application

• Shipborne ADCP: Ideal for undertaking real-time measurements of currents along the trajectory of a ship transiting near Ramsey. It can be used to conduct oceanographic surveys, investigating the fundamental circulation in the area, as well as optimizing ship routes, should any ship routes be present near the location.
• Bottom-mounted ADCP: Ideal for long - term, fixed - point measurement of the seabed currents. This is useful for investigating long - term coastal current trends, e.g., the effect of climate change on the local marine environment.
• Buoy-mounted ADCP: Ideally suited for surface - level currents measurement over an extensive area since the buoy drifts with the water. It helps to find out about the spatial variation of the surface currents and how the coastal waters exchange information with the open Irish Sea.

Based on Water Depth

• 600kHz ADCP: Ideal for the about 70m water depth, providing high-resolution data in the fairly shallow waters off Ramsey.
• 300kHz ADCP: Ideal for the about 110m water depth that can be utilized in areas with slightly deeper spots in the Irish Sea off the town.
• 75kHz ADCP: Suitable for deep-water use. Although the waters around Ramsey tend not to be very deep in general, it can be applied to research of the deeper-layer currents or used for deeper channels and can be used to measure currents up to 1000m deep.

Some popular ADCP manufacturers worldwide are Teledyne RDI, Nortek, and Sontek. In case you're searching for something cost-friendly, the China Sonar PandaADCP made of all-titanium alloy is a decent value compromise between cost and quality. More information is available at (https://china-sonar.com/).

Here is a table with some well known ADCP instrument brands and models.