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«IZVESTIYA IRKUTSKOGO GOSUDARSTVENNOGO UNIVERSITETA». SERIYA «NAUKI O ZEMLE»
«THE BULLETIN OF IRKUTSK STATE UNIVERSITY». SERIES «EARTH SCIENCES»
ISSN 2073-3402 (Print)

List of issues > Series «Earth Sciences». 2025. Vol 54

Field Testing of Autonomous Meter of Vertical Distribution of Hydrophysical Parameters in Lake Baikal

Author(s)

I. A. Aslamov1, K. M. Kucher1, M. Yu. Shikhovtsev1,2, R. R. Mirgazov3, M. M. Makarov1

1 Limnological Institute SB RAS, Irkutsk, Russian Federation

2 V.M. Matrosov Institute of System Dynamics and Control Theory SB RAS, Irkutsk, Russian Federation

3 Irkutsk State University, Irkutsk, Russian Federation

Abstract
The paper presents an autonomous instrument designed for long-term monitoring of the vertical distribution of hydrophysical parameters in aquatic environments. Special attention is given to conducting field testing of the developed instruments in the coastal zone of Lake Baikal and to a detailed analysis of the obtained hydrophysical data.The device provides synchronous measurements of water temperature, underwater illumination, water level, and wave intensity. Its modular architecture–combining a distributed sensor line with a data-logging unit equipped with thermally compensated real-time clocks and an energy-efficient power system ensures precise temporal alignment of all data channels at sampling rates of up to 1 Hz, while enabling more than one year of autonomous operation. The article details the engineering solutions implemented in the device, including sensor selection, electronic design features, structural components, and metrological characteristics. Results from field trials of two prototype units deployed in the littoral zone of Southern Baikal during the summer–autumn period of 2024 are presented. The collected dataset captured a wide range of hydrophysical processes, from the development and breakdown of thermal stratification to episodes of coastal upwelling and shifts in the seiche oscillation regime. Combined analysis of temperature profiles and hydro-optical measurements demonstrated the high sensitivity of the instrument to the dynamics and transparency of water masses. Field results confirm that the developed system is an reliable, cost-efficient, and technologically advanced tool for comprehensive hydrophysical monitoring. Its implementation enables the expansion of observational networks on Lake Baikal and supports the acquisition of long, internally consistent data series essential for tracking hydrophysical variability in the lake and assessing emerging climate-driven trends as the dataset accumulates.
About the Authors

Aslamov Ilya Aleksandrovich, Candidate of Sciences (Physics and Mathematics), Senior Research Scientist Limnological Institute SB RAS 3, Ulan Batorskaya st., Irkutsk, 664033, Russian Federation e-mail: ilya_aslamov@bk.ru

Kucher Konstantin Miroslavovich, Electronics Engineer Limnological Institute SB RAS 3, Ulan Batorskaya st., Irkutsk, 664033, Russian Federation e-mail: kost@hlserver.lin.irk.ru 

Shikhovtsev Maksim Yurievich, Candidate of Sciences (Geography), Junior Research Scientist Limnological Institute SB RAS 3, Ulan Batorskaya st., Irkutsk, 664033, Russian Federation Junior Research Scientist V. M. Matrosov Institute of System Dynamics and Control Theory SB RAS 134, Lermontov st., Irkutsk, 664033, Russian Federation e-mail: max97irk@yandex.ru 

Mirgazov Rashid Ramzelevich, Senior Research Scientist Irkutsk State University 1, K. Marx st., Irkutsk, 664003, Russian Federation e-mail: mrashid777@rambler.ru 

Makarov Mikhail Mikhailovich, Candidate of Sciences (Geography), Senior Research Scientist Limnological institute SB RAS 3, Ulan Batorskaya st., Irkutsk, 664033, Russian Federation e-mail: mmmsoft@hlserver.lin.irk.ru

For citation
Aslamov I.A., Kucher K.M., Shikhovtsev M.Yu., Mirgazov R.R., Makarov M.M. Field Testing of Autonomous Meter of Vertical Distribution of Hydrophysical Parameters in Lake Baikal. The Bulletin of Irkutsk State University. Series Earth Sciences, 2025, vol. 54, pp. 22-38. https://doi.org/10.26516/2073-3402.2025.54.22 (in Russian)
Keywords
water temperature, water level, wave activity, illumination, thermistor chain, monitoring, Baikal.
UDC
556.024:556.043:556.08:556.551(571.53)
DOI
https://doi.org/10.26516/2073-3402.2025.54.22
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