Tools for measuring the depth of the sea: echo sounders and examples of measurement problems

Tools to Measure the Depth of the Sea: Echosounder and Examples of Measurement Problems – What is the name of the tool to measure the depth of the sea? On this occasion About the knowledge.co.id will discuss it and of course the things that also cover it. Let's look at the discussion in the article below to understand it better.

Tools for measuring the depth of the sea: echo sounders and examples of measurement problems

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To find out the depth of the sea initially, the tools for measuring the depth of the sea are still very simple. A ballasted rope is released from a ship until the ballast touches the seabed. The water level on the rope is marked, then the rope is measured, the result of which will determine the depth of the sea in that place.

This measurement method takes quite a lot of time and effort so it is no longer used. In use, the seabed measuring system uses a cable equipped with a ballast pendulum whose mass ranges from 25-75 kg.

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Echosounder Sound Echo Tool

An instrument for measuring the depth of the ocean is the echosounder. This tool serves to calculate the depth of sea water by measuring the time it takes for the sound signal to reach the seabed to return to the ship.

The discovery of sonar technology has changed the way of mapping the depths of the ocean somewhere. A transmitter commonly called a transducer sends sound pulses directly into the water. the pulses travel down through the water and bounce off the ocean floor. This transducer is capable of recording the reflected sound.

The computer then measures the time it takes for the sound pulses to reach the ocean floor and return to the ship. In shallow water the sound waves return very quickly, while in deeper water it takes more time to receive the echo.

The depth of the ocean is calculated by knowing how fast sound travels through water (about 1,500 meters per second). This method of mapping the seabed is known as the echo sounding method.

Echosounder can use different sound frequencies to tell different things about the ocean. Water depth is usually measured with an echosounder which transmits sound at 12 kilohertz (kHz).

Lower frequencies (3.5 kHz) can be used to see the layers of sediment beneath the ocean floor. Higher frequencies (200 kHz) can be used to identify fish and plankton in the water.

The basis for calculating the depth of the sea with echoes is the speed of sound in water, which is 1500 m/s.

The formula used to measure the depth of the sea:

X = t X v

X = sea depth (meters)

t = time required to receive the sound echo back after the echosounder is fired

v = the speed of sound in water

Example of an Echosounder Measurement Problem

Problem 1.

A ship measures the depth of the ocean by sound echo method. After the sound is fired by the echo sounder, an echo is heard on the hydrophone within 8 seconds, then the depth of the sea is:

X = t X v = 8 X 1,500 = 6,000 meters

Problem 2.

The KRI Teluk Nibung ship measured the depth of the Java Sea with an echo sounding recorded 6 seconds from when it emits an echo until it receives its reflection, while the speed of sound through sea water averages 1,500 m/sec. When calculated, the depth of the sea is:

X = t X v = 6 X 1,500 = 4,500 meters

Problem 3.

The speed of sound in seawater is 1,500 m/s, using the echo sounding method with the difference between the emission time and the the reflection of sound waves emitted by a ship is 10 seconds, then the depth of the sea is measured is:

X = t X v = 10 X 1,500 = 7,500