A New Free-Fall Profiler for Measuring Biophysical Microstructure

Abstract

This paper evaluates the performance of a newly developed free-falling microstructure profiler. The instrument is equipped with standard turbulence sensors for measuring turbulent velocity shear and temperature gradient, as well as bio-optical sensors for measuring in situ chlorophyll and turbidity variations. Simultaneous measurements with this profiler and an acoustic Doppler velocimeter were carried out in a flow tank, and data from both instruments agreed well. Turbulence spectra computed from both instruments agreed with the Kolmogorov inertial subrange hypothesis over approximately two decades in wavenumber space. Data from field tests conducted with the profiler showed that turbulence spectra measured in situ agreed with the empirical Nasmyth spectrum when corrections were made for the shear probe's spatial averaging. Dissipation rates as low as 5 ? 10?10 W kg?1 were resolved when certain precautions were taken to avoid spectral bias caused by instrument vibrations. By assuming a universal form of the turbulence spectrum, turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rates below 5 ? 10?10 W kg?1 can be estimated. The optical sensors resolved centimeter-scale structures of in vivo fluorescence and backscatter in field measurements.