Physical oceanography

instrumentation
Tarek M. El-Geziry (PhD)
Associate Research Professor
Laboratory of Physical Oceanography
Division of Marine Environment
National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (NIOF)
Preparation of a field
trip
The four basic
physical
parameters

Density

Sound velocity
Water Masses & in seawater
Currents
Old Instruments
 Water
Samples
 Salinity
Amount of chloride ion
(chlorinity) in a seawater
sample by titration with
silver nitrate

Salinity = 0.03 +
1.80655 x Chlorinity
 Salinity
Induction Salinometer
used to determine the
electrical conductivity of
seawater, then accordingly
salinity is calculated.
Seawater
Temperature

Reversing Thermometers
 Bathythermograph

Seawater
Temperature
 Seawater Density

Sigma-t Tables
Seawater Density

Sigma-t = 28.152 - (0.0735*T) -

(0.00469*T^2) + ((0.802-
0.002*T)*(S-35))

Mixing of equal-density water from points

a and b would produce MORE dense
water at point c – it would SINK!
Sea level
 Sea level

Mechanical Tide Gauge

At Alexandria Western Harbour
 Modern
Equipment
 Water
Samples
Seawater Temperature

Expandable
Bathythermograp
h (XBT)
 Salinity,
Temperature,
Density, and Pressure

C
T
D
 Trackers

ARGO SYSTEM
Trackers

GLIDERS
 Current Measurements
Current Measurements

Eulerian Principle Lagrangian Principle

 Current Measurements

• Eulerian
method
employs
current
meters fixed
to the sea
bottom.

Two Impeller Meters

U- & I- Shape Mooring
Systems
 Current Measurements
Langrangian method employs drifters, drogues, or floats that
are set loose at the sea surface or at predetermined depths
and tracked acoustically
 Modern equipment to record
ocean waves

Datawell Waverider MkIII

Deployment of a directional waverider buoy
 Sea level
Aanderaa
WLR7

Radar SL
recorder
 The
SeaGuard
Platform
 Altimeters and Satellite Images

(Source: World Ocean Circulation Experiment Satellite Data CD-ROM)

 Altimeters and Satellite Images

https://www.eumetsat.int/jason/print.htm
 Altimeters and Satellite Images

http://sealevel.colorado.edu/content/map-sea-level-trends
Dr. Tarek Mohamed El-Geziry
tarekelgeziry@yahoo.com