Research Information System
One Ocean Science Congress 2025, Nice, France, 3 - 06 June 2025, pp.1, (Summary Text)
The self-potential (SP) method based on the measurement of electrical potential changes occurring naturally in fresh and saltwater environments has become used as an auxiliary technique in marine geophysics research over the past few decades. Although the method is straightforward to apply on land, its application in aquatic environments requires a more precise dynamic measurement system for both data acquisition and processing. In this study, we present a self-potential data acquisition system design and demonstrate its applicability through measurements conducted in the laboratory and inshore areas of Kepez, Strait of Çanakkale. A gradient array was designed, with two silver-silver chloride (Ag-AgCl) electrodes towed by a floating platform (buoy) connected via a few meters of cable to a recording unit. The recorder was equipped with a GPS for position fixing, a high-sensitivity analog-to-digital converter, and a data storage unit. The buoy was horizontally framed with a 2-meter separation between the fore and aft tips to prevent sinking while being towed along the stern of the vessel. Chirp profiles were concurrently obtained at the self-potential target positions. Post-processing and interpretation of the trial data demonstrate that the designed system is well-suited for marine research. The SP data allowed us to distinguish both morphological changes, verified by chirp sonar imagery, and freshwater inflow into the marine environment, corroborated by multi-parameter data collected at the initial points of the profiles. Future studies will focus on freshwater surveys to investigate the impact of these observed variations.