The STD system

The STD system measures all sorts of physical and chemical parameters (salinity, temperature, concentration of dissolved oxygen, turbidity, chlorophyll level, etc.) in the water column to a depth of 1600 meters. The STD system is lowered into the water column with a steel cable containing a coaxial core. While the system falls at a speed of approximately 0.8 meters per second, all parameters are constantly measured via the coaxial cable and sent to the on-board processing computer, where they are assessed by scientists. This STD system is also equipped with a rosette on which 12 Niskin or Go-Flo bottles can be fitted to take water samples. Using the graph of the results obtained the scientists can deduce at which depths water samples need to be taken for the analysis of the processes being examined. Once the system reaches the required depth the scientists decide at which depths the bottles are to be closed as they are pulled back up to the surface.

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