Thermistor Chain Depth Interpolation Tool
Interpolate each observed thermistor-chain profile to a shared depth grid only inside measured bounds; no time interpolation, sensor-gap reconstruction or profile extrapolation.
Description
A thermistor chain measures temperature at discrete depths.
A thermistor chain measures temperature at discrete depths. Linear interpolation can put several observed profiles onto a common query grid within the sensor range.1
The tool returns interpolatedTemperatureProfilesC. The computation uses supplied observations and parameters rather than acquiring measurements.
When to use Thermistor Chain Depth Interpolation Tool
Use this for the following task: Interpolate each observed thermistor-chain profile to a shared depth grid only inside measured bounds; no time interpolation, sensor-gap reconstruction or profile extrapolation. Prepare observations and calibration parameters on the same unit and reporting basis.
How to use Thermistor Chain Depth Interpolation Tool and understand its results
- Prepare the measured quantities and supplied model parameters. Match the units and align paired lists before calculating.
- Enter sensorDepthsM, temperatureProfilesC, queryDepthsM according to the field table, then run the tool.
- Read interpolatedTemperatureProfilesC. Use the calculation below to interpret the selected mean or the model’s signs, units and comparison flags.
- Review the supplied assumptions and calibration before comparing or reporting the result.
| Input field | Meaning | Value type and bounds | Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| sensorDepthsM | Sensor depths m | list of number | Required |
| temperatureProfilesC | Temperature profiles c | list of list of number | Required |
| queryDepthsM | Query depths m | list of number | Required |
Supply increasing nonnegative sensor depths, aligned profile rows and 1..128 nonnegative query depths. For each profile interpolate each query between its bounding sensors; retain profile and query order.
T(z)=(1−weight)×T(lower)+weight×T(upper) The symbols and boundary conditions refer to the supplied fields and the implementation described above.
| Output field | Meaning | Value type |
|---|---|---|
| interpolatedTemperatureProfilesC | Interpolated temperature profiles c | list of list of number |
{
"input": {
"sensorDepthsM": [
0,
5,
10
],
"temperatureProfilesC": [
[
20,
10,
0
],
[
10,
5,
0
]
],
"queryDepthsM": [
2.5,
7.5
]
},
"output": {
"interpolatedTemperatureProfilesC": [
[
15,
5
],
[
7.5,
2.5
]
]
}
}Limitations and assumptions
Out-of-range queries are rejected and total interpolation work is bounded. The tool does not interpolate time, reconstruct missing sensor records or extrapolate beyond measured depths.
Numerical inputs must be finite. Input-shape and calculation checks do not establish measurement quality or the validity of a supplied calibration.
Alternative or Complementary methods
Choose Thermocline Depth Max Gradient when you need its operation: Identify a unique maximum absolute interval temperature gradient, reporting interval center rather than claiming sub-sample thermocline precision. Choose Metalimnion Thickness for the complementary operation: Locate one contiguous sampled metalimnion using a caller absolute-gradient threshold; disjoint layers are ambiguous and are not merged into a false single thickness.
Background reference: Lake Physics Tools: rLakeAnalyzer reference manual.
References
-
Lake Physics Tools: rLakeAnalyzer reference manual — Winslow, Read and colleagues; GLEON
Similar or alternative tools
- Thermocline Depth Max Gradient
Identify a unique maximum absolute interval temperature gradient, reporting interval center rather than claiming sub-sample thermocline precision.
- Metalimnion Thickness
Locate one contiguous sampled metalimnion using a caller absolute-gradient threshold; disjoint layers are ambiguous and are not merged into a false single thickness.