Monmouth University - Parameter Information

PARAMETER

UNITS

PRECISION

ACCURACY

% Saturation

0.1%

± 2%

mg/L

0.01 mg/L

0.2 mg/L

Salinity

ppt

0.01 ppt

0.1 ppt

Temperature

ºC

0.01ºC

± 0.15ºC

unit

0.01 units

± 0.2 units

Turbidity

NTU

0.1 NTU

2 NTU

Chlorophyll

µg/L Chl

0.1 µg/L Chl

Depth

Feet or Meters

0.001 ft (0.001m)

± 0.06 ft (0.018m)

Dissolved Oxygen
The amount of free (not chemically combined) oxygen dissolved in water, wastewater, or other liquid, usually expressed in milligrams per liter, parts per million, or percent of saturation. Adequate concentrations of dissolved oxygen are necessary for the life of fish and other aquatic organisms and the prevention of offensive odors.

O2 saturation
The maximum amount of oxygen that will dissolve in water at a given temperature. Oxygen saturation is determined by pairing the temperature of the water with the dissolved oxygen value, after first correcting the dissolved oxygen measurement for the effects of atmospheric pressure.

Water Temperature
Sampled at the surface, the temperature of the water plays an important role in influencing physical, chemical, and biological processes and is regulated mainly by the season, weather conditions, time of day, and, in moving water, the flow rate.

Turbidity
The amount of solid particles that are suspended in water and that cause light rays shining through the water to scatter. Thus, turbidity makes the water cloudy or even opaque in extreme cases. Turbidity is measured in nephelometric turbidity units (NTU).

Water Salinity
The concentration of mineral salts dissolved in water. Salinity may be measured by weight (total dissolved solids), electrical conductivity, or osmotic pressure. Where sea water is the major source of salt, salinity is often used to refer to the concentration of chlorides in the water.

Chlorophyll
A plant pigment whose concentration in water is used to estimate the amount of phytoplankton or algae.

pH
pH is a measure of the activity of hydrogen ions (H+) in a solution, and therefore, its acidity or alkalinity. The pH value is a number without units, usually between 0 and 14, that indicates whether a solution is acidic, basic, or neutral (where 7 is neutral and greater than 7 is more basic and less than 7 is more acidic).

Depth
Water levels in the estuary vary primarily with the tide, but also with weather conditions and with the amount of upland stream flow and runoff entering the rivers. Physical, chemical, and biological conditions within the estuary vary with water level.