On the benthic boundary layer's dynamics

The Shirshov Institute of Oceanology in cooperation with other specialized Russian institutions has developed autonomous self-contained instruments (ADS) for long-term investigations of the benthic boundary layer (BBL) of the ocean. This paper is an analysis of the experience of ADS's application for long-term investigations of the BBL's dynamics based upon direct measurements of velocity components 2.5-25 m above the bottom, simultaneous observation of benthic water temperature and concurrent measurements of local seismicity of the sea-floor, as recorded by ADSs, which were deployed more than 50 times at depths ranging from 730-6125 m on the bottom of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and the Mediterranean Sea. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.