Upgrading UNOLS Academic Research Fleet (ARF) Marine Gravimeters Oceanographic Instrumentation Program Proposal 2022

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s (WHOI) Potential Fields Pool Equipment (PFPE) Facility, operated under its Shipboard Scientific Services Group (SSSG) recognizes that proposing and executing a BGM3 life cycle replacement plan is central to the future of marine gravity capability in US oceanographic research. This proposal requests the purchase of two critical items for operating marine gravimeters onboard academic research fleet (ARF) vessels.

The PI discusses the rationale to fund one Dynamic Gravity Systems (DGS) marine gravimeter for a UNOLS Global Class vessel, and one DGS marine gravimeter for the research vessel N.B. Palmer. 1) DGS gravimeter for a ARF Global Class vessel $382,500 2) DGS gravimeter for R/V N. B. Palmer $382,500 $765,000

Broader Impacts

The principal impact of the present proposal is under Merit Review Criterion 2 of the Proposal Guidelines (NSF 19-602). It provides infrastructure support for scientists to use the vessel and its shared-use instrumentation in support of their NSF-funded oceanographic research projects (which individually undergo separate review by the relevant research program of NSF).

The acquisition, maintenance and operation of shared-use instrumentation allows NSF-funded researchers from any US university or lab access to working, calibrated instruments for their research, reducing the cost of that research, and expanding the base of potential researchers.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.