New Measuring and Data Transmission Equipment for Operational Oceanography at the Gelendgik Black Sea Test Site of Institute of Oceanology of the RAS

Abstract

The design and principles of operation of the bottom multi-modem station MDS-II, located in the coastal zone (depth of location — 25 m) of the northeastern part of the Black Sea at the Gelendzhik Test Site of IO RAS are described. The station is connected to the coastal center by means of a bottom fiber-optic cable, through which power is supplied to the station, and online transmission of measurement data takes place. The station is an underwater server to which one can connect a measuring device and get a real-time access to it, as well as remotely control on its operation. The design of an automatic stationary station for vertical sounding (SSVS) of water column, which is also used at the Gelendzhik Test Site, is also described. This station is installed close to the MDS-II multi-modem station and is connected to one of its modems. The station consists of a bottom electric winch installed on the seabed and a floating module (probe) on a cable line wound around the winch drum. When the command ʺsoundingʺ is given, the cable unwinds and the floating module, equipped with temperature and pressure sensors, floats and measures the water temperature profile from the bottom layer to the sea surface. Then the cable is winding on a drum, and the floating module returns to the bottom layer. A prototype of a new SSVS is being developed, which will allow sounding of the water layer with a thickness of up to 100 m. It will be equipped with a multi-parameter probe that makes joint measurements of hydrophysical and bio-optical parameters.