Weather equipment manufacturer All Weather, Inc. (AWI) of Sacramento, Calif., has teamed with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) to study the long-term effects of corrosive marine environments on Automated Weather Observing Systems (AWOS).
AWOS systems are used worldwide to determine current weather conditions at airports and to broadcast up-to-the-minute reports to pilots.
In an effort to identify potential corrosion issues at sites located in marine environments, AWI and MBARI installed a test site about 50 meters from Monterey Bay in Moss Landing, Calif. Test materials use a variety of coatings and surface treatments, and will be closely monitored to observe the effectiveness of each in protecting equipment from corrosive environments, according to AWI officials. The test site will be photographed monthly as part of the study’s detailed cataloging of corrosion progress. Photographs and test results will be published on AWI’s website at AllWeatherInc.com/Materials.html.
MBARI is a nonprofit research institution where scientists and engineers work together to explore and study the sea. It has 20 years of experience deploying equipment in some of the harshest conditions on the planet, according to AWI officials. Much of its instrumentation is either submerged in the ocean or mounted on ships or buoys and is subject to continuous exposure to salt-fog, salt-spray and sun.
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