Meet the CTD: July - August 2016

 

The CTD (standing for "Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth") is a vital instrument when conducting scientific research on ships. By measuring the conductivity of seawater, the salinity can be derived from the temperature and pressure of the same water. The depth is then derived from the pressure measurement by calculating the density of water from the temperature and the salinity. This information is important for helping understand ocean circulation and changing environmental conditions, biological processes, and how and where different species occur and why. CTD data can also be used to detect volcanoes, hydrothermal vents, and other deep-sea features and are important in calibrating multibeam sonar or other instruments.

 

Download SD version (mp4, 3.0 MB).

Download HD version (mp4, 40.2 MB).

Video courtesy of Caitlin Bailey, GFOE, The Hidden Ocean 2016: Chukchi Borderlands, Oceaneering-DSSI.

 


 

For More Information

One Instrument for All

CTD