Data Guidelines CTD

ICES Data Guidelines exist to support and promote expert science and, when properly adopted, are to ensure data are more efficiently handled and accurately managed. Conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) instruments were introduced to the oceanography community in the late 1960s. Since then, the electronic measurement of conductivity, temperature, and pressure provided by the CTD has become the backbone of hydrography measurements in the ocean. This guide covers a range of CTD applications, such as CTD profiles obtained from CTD probes; CTD rosettes; and CTDs attached to remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), floats, or other profiling equipment.

CTDs typically consist of an array of sensors that measure the frequency or voltage response that represents changes in an ocean parameter. Beyond the typical conductivity and temperature sensors, CTDs may also have attached sensors for light transmission, fluorescence, oxygen content, optical backscatter, turbidity, and others, as required. For details regarding the use of CTDs, please see the attached training annex.