DATA QUALITY-CONTROL FOR VESSEL MOUNTED ACOUSTIC DOPPLER CURRENT PROFILER - APPLICATION FOR THE WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN SEA

A systematic Data Quality Checking Protocol for Vessel Mounted Acousti c Doppler Current Profiler observations is proposed. Previous-to-acqui sition conditions are considered along with simultaneous ones. Indepen dently of internal systems, location and misalignment, the auxiliary s ystems to acquisition determine the accuracy range of the current velo city profiles. Simultaneous to-acquisition navigation conditions provi de the physically descriptive weight (or reliability) of significance for each individual current profile. The formulation of the Data Quali ty Checking Protocol is followed by actual applications and examples f rom cruises aboard RN ''Garcia del Cid'' in the Western Mediterranean Sea.