Infragravity wave measurement mode now available for Signature ADCPs
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Understanding infragravity waves
Infragravity waves are long-period waves generated by wind waves interacting with ocean swell. These long waves are of particular interest to researchers studying coastal processes, sediment dynamics, or coastal erosion, as they can travel much farther up on shore than shorter period waves. Understanding infragravity waves is also relevant to those working in and around ports and harbors, as they can affect moored vessels, safety of harbor operations, and subsea cable stability.
Measuring these long-period waves using ADCPs requires special attention to how the instrument is configured, as traditional wave bursts are typically not long enough to capture the full wave.
New applications in Signature Deployment
To facilitate measurement of long-period waves, Nortek has introduced two new applications in the Signature Deployment software, available for Signature 1000 and Signature 500 users:
- Burst using altimeter (single plan)
- This application is a standard burst measurement using the altimeter only. Unlike a traditional wave measurement, it does not measure orbital velocities. This saves power for the instrument and allows the altimeter to work alone for longer periods of time.
- Wave height and direction & Burst using altimeter (alternating plan)
- This application allows users to capture orbital velocities as well as altimeter bursts. The instrument will perform a typical wave burst, then fill what would normally be downtime with altimeter sampling.
These two applications allow users to configure their Signature 1000 or Signature 500 to gather information about long-period waves with only a click of a button in the configuration software.
Additional resources and support
Additional guidance for measuring long period waves is available on our Support site. This documentation also contains a guide on how to process your recorded data.
We will also be hosting a webinar in June 2026 to discuss this functionality. Register today to join us and ask your questions!
