All over the world, water quality managers are recognizing the advantages of having automated, real-time water quality data at their fingertips. Not only can an automated monitoring system significantly reduce the costs and time associated with sending monitoring crews out to the field, it can detect short-term events routinely missed by traditional field sampling programs. 

Whether for drinking water needs, aquaculture operations, or general research, the best water quality assessments are conducted through a complete time series that monitors and records changes in a wide range of physical, chemical and biological parameters. But when an even greater level of precision is required, an automated vertical profiling system may offer the ideal solution--both in terms of cost and efficiency. Because it continuously samples and records multiple water quality parameters throughout the entire water column, a vertical profiler is the most comprehensive environmental monitoring system on the market.

YSI’s Vertical Profilers are being used by Thames Water in several reservoirs to ensure that the nearly 8 million people in and around London have access to clean drinking water. The Profiler uses a multi-parameter sonde to conduct autonomous vertical profiles of the entire water column, which has resulted in improved water use efficiency as well as significant cost reductions. In Taiwan, dangerous sediment plumes in the Shimen Reservoir prompted officials to install two YSI Vertical Profilers, which monitor several water quality parameters by depth and transmit the data to the Shimen Dam operator every three hours. On the other side of the globe, YSI Vertical Profilers are also being used by The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to continuously monitor Nevada's Lake Mead watershed, upon which 22 million users depend.

The applications of YSI's Vertical Profiling System have even extended beyond the earthly.

Scientists at NASA's Astrobiology Science and Technology Exploring Planets (ASTEP) program are investigating the repercussions of accelerating glacial retreat here on Earth, as well as bringing new insights into the potential for past life on Mars, and within the lakes on the surface of Saturn's largest moon, Titan. As part of NASA's 2011 Planetary Lake Lander project, ASTEP is funding a team of scientists to test technologies on some unique places on earth--technologies that may one day be used on otherworldly water bodies. Located in the heart of the Chilean Andes, Laguna Negra offers a beautiful, yet stark glacial lake ecosystem that may shed light on how life and habitats adapt and transition during deglaciations--both on Earth and on other planets. YSI’s automated Vertical Profiling System was chosen for its ability to rapidly establish an environmental baseline and provide scientists with near-real time assessment of the water quality conditions of Laguna Negra.

Dubbed the Planetary Lake Lander (PLL) by NASA scientists, the Vertical Profiling System has four main components. The underwater sonde monitors water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, salinity, turbidity, and the presence of algae. The PLL profiler raises and lowers the sonde, collects and stores the monitoring data, and transmits this data to a team of scientists at regular intervals. The weather station measures temperature, barometric pressure, wind speed and wind direction. The pontoon houses these components, providing a mobile, easily deployable floating platform that can be used for monitoring and repairs.

Whether you are concerned about protecting drinking water supplies on earth or monitoring extraterrestrial lakes, YSI understands that every environment is unique. YSI's Vertical Profilers are available in three different deployment configurations--Fixed, Pontoon, and Buoy. Compatible with all YSI 6-Series sondes equipped with depth, Profiler Systems can be designed to fit your specifications. Contact one of our specialists today, and let us assist you with your specific monitoring needs.