Underwater Visual Communication

摘要

A preliminary survey was made of the value of using light in the blue range as a means for underwater communication. A discussion of the many factors involved is presented, as well as five examples of the combination of factors of transmission, emission, and sensitivity for a single layer of Continental Slope sea water of 66-foot depth, two types of illumination source, and sensitivity in daylight and in semi-darkness. There are certain advantages in using light from the blue and blue-green portion of the spectrum. These advantages increase as the absolute amount of blue light emitted by the source is increased, the distance the light must travel through the water is increased, and the lower the general illumination in the water happens to be.