Low-Cost Pressure Sensors for Measuring Storm Surge and Waves

This project is related to the development and use of low-cost, do-it-yourself (DIY) commercial electronic sensors for measuring storm surge and waves in coastal areas. The original purpose of the project was to build and deploy large numbers of pressure sensors capable of sampling at frequencies high enough to characterize wind- and vessel-generated waves in relatively shallow water (<5 meters). While commercially available wave gauges are widely available, robust, reliable, and relatively easy to use, their cost can often be prohibitive. This project provides an alternative to commercially available pressure sensors for the purpose of measuring tides, storm surge, and/or waves in coastal waters. The material cost for each gauge is approximately $200 and the time for construction is nominally 45-60 minutes per gauge (with experience). We have assessed the performance of these low-cost, DIY gauges in a controlled laboratory setting as well as in the field. When compared with commercially available wave gauges and/or water level sensors, we find that the low-cost DIY gauges provide statistically similar results at approximately 10% of the cost of their counterparts.