OCEANOGRAPHIC

OBSERVATIONS
By:
AINUL HUSNA ABDUL RAHMAN
NUR AFIQAH ROSLY
1
 INTRODUCTION

Oceanography :

The study of the sea, embracing and integrating all knowledge pertaining to
the sea’s physical boundaries, the chemistry and physics of seawater, and
marine biology.

Hydrography :

Deals with the measurement and description of the physical features of

oceans, seas, coastal areas, lakes and rivers, for the primary purpose of safety
of navigation and in support of all other marine activities, including economic
development, security and defense, scientific research, and environmental
protection

2
 Branches in Oceanography

Physical Oceanography

Chemical Oceanography

Meteorological Oceanography

Biological Oceanography

Geological Oceanography

3
 Measurements Methods
Oceanographic Observation Temperature • Standard thermometer
• Reversing thermometer
• Bathythemograph (BT)
Salinity • Hydrometer
• Chemical Test Set (Knudsen)
• Salinometer
Oxygen • Chemical Test Kit ( Winkler Titration)
• Dissolved Oxygen probe
pH • pH Test Strips
• pH Meter
Turbidity & Colour • Secchi Disc
• Forel-Ule Scale( Used with secchi disc)
Currents • Current Meter
• Drogues
• Drift Cards/Bottles
Depth & Profile • Sounder
• Fathometer 4
 Reversing
Thermometer

Seabed Forel-Ule Scale

Sampling
Oceanographic
Observation
Equipment

Hydrometer Secchi Disc

5
I) Temperature : Reversing Thermometer

• Primary device used by oceanographers to determine water temperatures below the

surface of the ocean from around 1900 to 1970.
• Used for measuring underwater temperature and pressure.
• It consists of two mercury thermometers:
-protected
-unprotected
• Components of reversing thermometer:
- Main thermometer
-Auxiliary thermometer

6
 Main Thermometer:

-A double ended thermometer.

-Has a large reservoir of mercury at the lower end.
-Bulb at the upper end

Auxiliary Thermometer

-Mounted alongside main thermometer.

-Used to obtain the air temperature at the time the
main thermometer is read.
-Auxiliary thermometer is needed because
corrections must be applied to the main
thermometer reading to compensate for change in
volume of mercury in the main stem.

Figure 1: Protected-type reversing thermometer

(Source: Emery and Thompson, 2001) 7
 Protected Reversing Thermometer Unprotected Reversing
Thermometer
• Special kind of stem thermometer
which measures sub-surface • Similar to protected except
temperature. the heavy glass jacket that
• Protected' means that the encloses the main and
thermometer is isolated from auxiliary stem is open at one
water pressure. end.
• Has no mercury surrounding
the reservoir.
• Used in conjunction with
protected reversing
thermometers to determine
thermometric depth.

Figure 2: Protected-type reversing thermometer Figure 3: Unprotected-type reversing

(Source: Emery and Thompson, 2001) thermometer
(Source: Emery and Thompson, 2001)

8
 II) Colour: Forel-Ule Scale

• Observations of the water colour date back all the way to

the late 19th century, when the Forel-Ule colour
comparator scale was created.
• This scale is composed of 21 colours, going from indigo
blue to ‘cola’ brown, through blue-green, green, and
yellow colours
• This system works well because the human eye can
accurately match colours when viewed simultaneously.
• The colour measurement with a Forel-Ule scale should be
done with a secchi disc. Figure 4: Forel-Ule Scale
(Source: M.Wernand,2015)

9
•Indigo blue to greenish blue with high light penetration (1-5 FU scale). These waters have often
low nutrient levels and low production of biomass. The colour is dominated by microscopic algae
(phytoplankton).
•Greenish blue to bluish green (6-9 FU scale). The colour is still dominated by algae, but also
increased dissolved matter and some sediment may be present. Typical for areas towards the open
sea.
•Greenish (10-13 FU scale). Often coastal waters which usually display increased nutrient and
phytoplankton levels, but also contain minerals and dissolved organic material.
•Greenish brown to brownish green (14-17 FU scale). Usually with high nutrient and phytoplankton
concentrations, but also increased sediment and dissolved organic matter. Typical for near-shore
areas and tidal flats.
•Brownish green to cola brown (18-21 FU scale). Waters with an extremely high concentration of
humic acids, which are typical for rivers and estuaries.
10
 III) Turbidity: The Secchi Disc

• A Secchi Disc is an instrument used to measure the

transparency of seawater.
• The Secchi Disc consists of a circular plate 25 to 30 cm in
diameter.
• One side is painted white and the other side is usually
black.
• A bridle around the disc allows a graduated line to be
secured so that the disc can be lowered into the water.
• May be hard for the viewer to be exact but a good
Figure 5: Secchi Disc
approximation
(Source: B.Condello,2007)

11
 Operation of Secchi Disc

Recovery of the disc

Lower the disc
should be stopped at
(white side up) into Continue lowering one meter below the
the water, preferably Raise the disc until it Record the average
until the disc is no surface and the
on the shaded side of is just visible - note of the two depth
the ship to reduce longer visible - note values
water colour
the depth determined from the
sea surface the depth.
Forel-Ule colour
reflections.
scale

12
IV) Salinity: Hydrometer

• Device for measuring liquid density (weight per unit volume)

or specific gravity (weight per unit volume compared with
water).
• The device consists of a weighted, sealed, long-necked glass
bulb that is immersed in the liquid being measured;
• The depth of flotation gives an indication of liquid density,
• The neck can be calibrated to read density, specific gravity,
or some other related characteristic.
• Use TSD graph to find the exact measurement of salinity.

Figure 6: Hydrometer
(Source:Encyclopedia Brittanica,2011)

13
V) Depth & Profile: Seabed Sampling

Importance of Seabed Sampling

Mariners: Defense Activities:

Marine Activities:
-To decide where to -Mine warfare
-Offshore
anchor -Submarine operation
engineering
-Determination the -SONAR acoustic
-Mineral exploration
type of holding performance
-Fishing
ground
-To help assess the
safety of anchorage
14
 Seabed Sampling Method

Aerial technique Ground-Truthing

Acoustic technique technique

15
 Grab Sampler

Opportunity
Based
Corer
Sampling
(Anchor)
Ground-
Truthing
Technique

Submersibles Diver

16
I) Grab Sampler • The Grab Sampler is widely used in
fresh and salt water for taking sediment
samples from hard bottoms such as
sand, gravel, consolidated marl or clay.

• The Grab Sampler is an instrument to

sample sediment in the ocean. It is a
clamshell bucket made out of stainless
steel. Up to 20 cm deep samples of
roughly 0.1 m2 can be extracted with
this instrument.

• While letting the instrument down into

the water, the two levers with buckets
at their ends are spread like an open
scissor. The levers are locked in this
Figure 7: Grab Sampler position, and unlock when hitting the
(Source:Romona.ru,2016) ground. When the rope is pulled upward
again, the two buckets close and grab a
sample from the sea floor
17
II) Diver

• An inspection by divers allows a positive identification of the seabed.

• Large as well as small features can be identified.
• Divers are limited by the depth to which they can work (max depth = 40m), but for
shallow water and with time permitting this is a good method of obtaining a surface
samples.

Figure 8: Installation of sediment trap

(Source: K.Foss, 2015)

18
III) Submersibles

• Examples: ROV, AUV

• Submersibles can assist in classifying the seabed either by collecting samples (usually
scoop or grab) or by obtaining video images for later inspection.

Figure 9: MBARI AUV Figure 10: ROV

(Source: MBARI, n.d) (Source: E.Sayed,2015)
19
IV) Opportunity Based Sampling

Useful samples can also be obtained from ship’s cables, anchors or buoy
moorings.

Figure 11: Seabed sampling using anchor

(Source: E.Sayed,2015)

20
IV) Corer

Figure 12: Piston corer Figure 13: Components of piston corer

(Source:Romona.ru,2016) (Source:Romona.ru,2016)

21
Piston Corer
• The piston corer is a long, heavy tube plunged into the seafloor to extract samples of mud sediment.
• A piston inside the tube allows scientists to capture the longest possible samples, up to 90 feet in
length
• Piston corers are generally used in areas with soft sediment, such as clay.
• Can penetrates up to 20 metres
• Advantage:
Allows the soft sediment to be captured without significant compression or disturbance
• Disadvantage:
They are heavy, long, and sometimes difficult to handle. Because of the operations involved and
equipment needed, piston corers cannot be executed from every research vessel. Special handling
equipment is required to safely launch and recover a deep sea piston coring system.

22
 After being lowered on a wire from the
side of a ship, the piston corer
approaches the seafloor preceded by
the small gravity corer.

 Upon contact, the tripping arm "opens,"

sending the piston corer on a fast fall to
the bottom.

 As the piston corer penetrates the

seafloor, the piston inside stops at the
sediment surface. The action of the
piston creates a pressure differential at
the top of the sediment column. This
allows the soft material to enter the
core liner without disruption.

 Within seconds, the process is

complete. Crew on the ship then haul
the wire in until the corer is free of the
seafloor. Figure 14: Piston corer operation
(Source:WHOI,2016 23
)