摘要：Towed vehicles have been used extensively for marine surveys, yielding the advantages of rapid data collection in three dimensions. Similar application in freshwaters could yield similar advantages but the limitations of such application in freshwater lakes and reservoirs have not been studied extensively. We employed a towed sensor array to conduct spatially-referenced in-situ water quality investigations in the forebay region of J. Strom Thurmond Lake, SC/GA. The vehicle was computer controlled from the surface and was capable of either programmed or manual control of depth as well as ascent and descent rate. The vehicle was fitted with a sensor array which allowed internal logging of in-situ data. GPS positions were logged separately and the resultant datasets were merged to form a comprehensive three-dimensional descriptive dataset. The use of the towed vehicle and the technological limits imposed by sensors on the water quality sonde were studied for strengths and weaknesses.
