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A Fresh Perspective

March 25, 2018

WHOI researcher Sebastien Bigorre talks with WHOI physical oceanographer Amala Mahadevan about measurements from an underway-CTD, an instrument that measures conductivity (salinity), temperature, and depth while a ship is in motion. Bigorre and Mahadevan were working in the Bay of Bengal on the R/V Revelle in 2013, obtaining depth profiles of salinity and temperature every 3-5 kilometers (2-3 miles) along a 3,500 kilometer (2,175 mile)-long cruise track. Freshwater, rain, and runoff from intense monsoons significantly change the salinity and density structure of the surface water in this region, making the Bay of Bengal one of the freshest tropical oceans in the world. (Photo courtesy of Amala Mahadevan, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)