dieptemeter

Dieptemeter, or depth meters, are instruments used to determine the depth of a liquid from a reference surface, typically the distance from the water surface to the bottom. They are employed in nautical, freshwater, and geotechnical contexts and range from handheld devices to integrated shipboard systems, as well as in laboratory measurements of liquids and soils.

Two main families of dieptemeters exist. Hydrostatic (pressure-based) depth meters use a pressure sensor at the sensing point; depth is derived from the measured hydrostatic pressure, with corrections for atmospheric pressure and water density. Acoustic depth meters, commonly called echo sounders or sonar, emit a sound pulse and measure the travel time to the bottom; depth is calculated from the round-trip time and the speed of sound in water. Some instruments combine methods or offer multipurpose sensors capable of operating in different environments.

Applications include marine navigation and safety, fishing and diving, hydrographic surveying, and geotechnical investigations of lakes, rivers, and coastal areas. Modern dieptemeters often integrate with GPS, mapping software, and data loggers to produce bathymetric charts and depth profiles. Accuracy varies with method, equipment quality, and conditions; hydrostatic meters can achieve centimeter-level precision in shallow water, while sonar-based systems are more suitable for wide-area depth mapping and deeper waters.

History and development trace a path from weighted sounding lines used on ships to mechanical and electronic depth gauges in the 19th and 20th centuries, culminating in contemporary digital depth meters that can operate in real time and integrate with broader navigation or surveying systems.