Photo of the Week

We are excited to bring back our Photo of the Week section so stay tuned for new content coming soon! In the meantime, take a look at these fantastic pictures from our teachers.

The Speed of Sound in Saltwater

April 12, 2021

TAS ’16 Nichia Huxtable deploys an expendable bathythermograph (XBT) over the side of NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada at sunset.

Photo: Nichia Huxtable

A word about XBTs: Before all your data are processed, you need to know how fast the sound waves are travelling through the water. When sound is moving through water, changes in temperature and salinity can bend the wave, altering your data. An XBT is an expendable bathythermograph that is sent overboard every four hours. It transmits temperature and salinity readings throughout its quick trip to the ocean bottom, allowing the computer to make data adjustments, as needed.

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