Changes in conditions of acoustic wave propagation in the Gdansk deep as an effect of climate changes in the Baltic Sea region

Abstract

The article presents the results from a research project investigating acoustic climate changes in the Gdansk Deep based on data extending from 1902 to 2019. This part of the southern Gotland Basin, is rarely discussed in the scientific literature.The speed of sound in the seawater is a function of temperature, salinity, and depth. In such shallow sea as Baltic Sea, the impact of depth is not substantial. The other two factors shape the hydroacoustic conditions. In the upper layer of seawater, the dominating factor is heat exchange at the water-atmosphere interface. The observed climate warming is reflected in the water temperature rise, which results in an increased speed of sound in the upper water layer. After years of sporadic salty inflows from the North Sea, the frequency of the phenomenon has increased since 2014. As a result, the salinity at the bottom exceeds values typical for that area.