Acoustic mapping of mixed layer depth

Stranne, ChristianStockholms universitet,Institutionen för geologiska vetenskaper (author)

The ocean surface mixed layer is a nearly universal feature of the world oceans. Variations in the depth of the mixed layer (MLD) influences the exchange of heat, fresh water (through evaporation), and gases between the atmosphere and the ocean and constitutes one of the major factors controlling ocean primary production as it affects the vertical distribution of biological and chemical components in near-surface waters. Direct observations of the MLD are traditionally made by means of conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) casts. However, CTD instrument deployment limits the observation of temporal and spatial variability in the MLD. Here, we present an alternative method in which acoustic mapping of the MLD is done remotely by means of commercially available ship-mounted echo sounders. The method is shown to be highly accurate when the MLD is well defined and biological scattering does not dominate the acoustic returns. These prerequisites are often met in the open ocean and it is shown that the method is successful in 95% of data collected in the central Arctic Ocean. The primary advantages of acoustically mapping the MLD over CTD measurements are (1) considerably higher temporal and horizontal resolutions and (2) potentially larger spatial coverage.

Mayer, L.University of New Hampshire (author)
Jakobsson, MartinStockholms universitet,Institutionen för geologiska vetenskaper(Swepub:su)mjako (author)
Weidner, E.University of New Hampshire (author)
Jerram, K.University of New Hampshire (author)
Weber, T. C.University of New Hampshire (author)
Anderson, Leif G,1951Gothenburg University,Göteborgs universitet,Institutionen för marina vetenskaper,Department of marine sciences,University of Gothenburg(Swepub:gu)xanlei (author)
Nilsson, JohanStockholms universitet,Meteorologiska institutionen (MISU)(Swepub:su)jnils (author)
Björk, Göran,1956Gothenburg University,Göteborgs universitet,Institutionen för marina vetenskaper,Department of marine sciences,University of Gothenburg(Swepub:gu)xbjogo (author)
Gårdfeldt, Katarina,1959Chalmers tekniska högskola,Chalmers University of Technology(Swepub:cth)katarina (author)
Stockholms universitetInstitutionen för geologiska vetenskaper (creator_code:org_t)

By the author/editor: Stranne, Christi ...; Mayer, L.; Jakobsson, Marti ...; Weidner, E.; Jerram, K.; Weber, T. C.; show more...; Anderson, Leif G ...; Nilsson, Johan; Björk, Göran, 19 ...; Gårdfeldt, Katar ...; show less...

About the subject

NATURAL SCIENCES: NATURAL SCIENCES; and Earth and Relate ...; and Meteorology and ...

NATURAL SCIENCES: NATURAL SCIENCES; and Earth and Relate ...; and Oceanography Hyd ...

NATURAL SCIENCES: NATURAL SCIENCES; and Earth and Relate ...; and Geosciences Mult ...

By the university: University of Gothenburg; Chalmers University of Technology; Stockholm University

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