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A sound speed profile shows the speed of sound in water at different vertical levels. It has two general representations:
Table 1 shows an example of the first representation; figure 1 shows the same information using the second representation.
Although given as a function of depth, the speed of sound in the ocean does not depend solely on depth. Rather, for a given depth, the speed of sound depends on the temperature at that depth, the depth itself, and the salinity at that depth, in that order.
The speed of sound in the ocean at different depths can be measured directly, e.g., by using a velocimeter, or, using measurements of temperature and salinity at different depths, it can be calculated using a number of different sound speed formulae which have been developed. Examples of such formulae include those by Wilson, Chen and Millero and Mackenzie. Each such formulation applies within specific limits of the independent variables.