Philosophy and Application of High-Resolution Temperature Sensors for Stratified Waters

Every application may have its specifically designed sensor. For studying the effects of short-term temperature variations on life in water, a high-resolution sensor has been designed with low noise level <0.1 mK. Pro and cons of the design include its adequacy for use in large heat-capacity environments like water but less in air. The sensor can be used under high static environmental pressure of >1000 Bar (>10(8) N m(-2)) in the deepest ocean regions. Its response time of 0.5 s in water allows quantitative studies of internal wave turbulent mixing effects, e.g., on the redistribution of matter and on nearly completely submerged human bodies. In a chain of >100 sensors, clocks are synchronized to sample within 0.02 s and a verified range of 600 m.