Observations on relations between marine aerosol fluxes and surface-generated noise in the southern Baltic Sea

Abstract

Summary This study presents the preliminary results of combining underwater acoustic ambient noise measurements with those of in-situ sea spray fluxes (SSF). Hydroacoustic measurements (in the frequency range 80 Hz –12.5 kHz) were made using an underwater noise recording system developed at the Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences which was then deployed in the southern Baltic Sea. The simultaneous measurements of coarse sea spray fluxes (with particle diameters ranging from 0.5 to 47 µm) were made on board the r/v Oceania using the gradient method. Observations were conducted for the duration of the passage of an atmospheric front that lasted 2.5 days (60 hours of measurements). There were significant differences in the sound pressure level (SPL) and aerosol fluxes observed between the first part of measurements (developing wave state) and the second part (developed waves). Wave parameters, such as peak period, significant wave height, wave age, and mean wave slope acquired from the WAM (WAve Model), were used to investigate the impact of wave field properties on noise and aerosol flux measurements. We observed different behaviours in the power spectrum density (PSD) levels of noise for these parameters depending on the wave state development.