Advances in measuring ocean salinity with an optical sensor

Marc Le Menn (1) , Jean-Louis de Bougrenet de La Tocnaye (2) , Philippe Grosso (2) , Laurent Delauney (3) , Christian Podeur (3) , Patrice Brault (4) , Olivier Guillerme (4)

1 SHOM - Service Hydrographique et Océanographique de la Marine
2 OPT - Département Optique
3 RDT - Unité Recherches et Développements Technologiques
4 NKE instrumentation

Absolute salinity measurement of seawater has become a key issue in thermodynamic models of the oceans. One of the most direct ways is to measure the seawater refractive index which is related to density and can therefore be related to the absolute salinity. Recent advances in high resolution position sensitive devices enable us to take advantage of small beam deviation measurements using refractometers. This paper assesses the advantages of such technology with respect to the current state-of-the-art technology. In particular, we present the resolution dependence on refractive index variations and derive the limits of such a solution for designing seawater sensors well suited for coastal and deep-sea applications. Particular attention has been paid to investigate the impact of environmental parameters, such as temperature and pressure, on an optical sensor, and ways to mitigate or compensate them have been suggested here. The sensor has been successfully tested in a pressure tank and in open oceans 2000 m deep.

Mots clés: Refractive index; Seawater; Density; Salinity; Refractometer

Domaines: Optique / photonique

Marc Le Menn, Jean-Louis de Bougrenet de La Tocnaye, Philippe Grosso, Laurent Delauney, Christian Podeur, et al.. Advances in measuring ocean salinity with an optical sensor. Measurement Science and Technology, 2011, 22 (115202), ⟨10.1088/0957-0233/22/11/115202⟩. ⟨hal-00704224⟩