Analysis of Variations of Acoustical Structure and Physical Components in Seawater Column in the Southern Deep Basin of the Caspian Sea

Variations of physical properties of seawater (sound speed, temperature, salinity, and density) over the southern shelf of the Caspian Sea were assessed. Furthermore, the effect of monthly changes in physical structure and layering procedure was evaluated on water characteristics. The influence of the thermal structure and stability of the water column in warm months on the sound speed was greater than that of the salinity parameter. Due to the high correlation between sound speed and temperature in the Caspian Sea water, their vertical structures are mostly correlated. The range of surface layer water changes was within 9–30°C during different months of the year. The water salinity in the areas away from the coast was measured around 12 to 12.5 PSU. The range of measured sound speed data in February was about 1450–1463 m/s, while the values recorded in June‑July were between 1501–1451 m/s. The results indicated formation of a deep acoustic channel in the middle and deep areas of the seawater column. The analysis revealed that the axis of the sound channel occurs at a depth of 140–150 m (intermediate layer) in warm months. The axis of the sound channel was located in upper layers in the warm months.