Investigation of the vertical distribution of the sound speed of the Gulf of Gdansk in the years 2000-2010

The conditions of the acoustic wave propagation in the southern Baltic are much more complex than in other shallow waters. In the typical shallow water, seasonal changes in acoustical conditions in the upper layer, of the depth of about 60-70 m, are observed. They are caused by variation of the annual meteorological conditions. Most often, in the deep water layer, acoustical conditions are stable throughout the year. However, in the Southern Baltic they change during the year also in the deep water layer. They depend on the inflows of highly saline water from the Northern Sea through the Danish Straits, which evoke a dense bottom current increasing the salinity at the bottom. The vertical sound speed distribution in the Southern Baltic is strongly dependent on the hydrological conditions. In the paper the characteristic elements of acoustic climate of the Southern Baltic will be considered, based on data concerning the Gulf of Gdansk. Averaged characteristics of temperature, salinity and sound speed for the years 2000-2010, as well as anomalies, have been determined.