Method and apparatus for remote salinity sensing
US4034190A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 15, 1974 |
| Grant date | Jul 5, 1977 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 15, 1994 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N21/21
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for remote sensing of the salinity of large bodies of water. A sequence of intensity values is obtained for the horizontally and vertically polarized components of sunlight specularly reflected as a solar glitter pattern at successive points on the surface of the body of water. For readings corresponding to each pair of points, the fractional change of horizontal and vertical component intensity between the points is computed, as in the ratio of the fractional change in the vertical component to the fractional change in the horizontal component. If the ratio is sufficiently near a theoretical value, dependent on the solar zenith angle, to indicate that the corresponding intensity changes were actually caused by a change in salinity, the salinity change is calculated using formulae derived from the Fresnel equations.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.