In the presented paper the structural changes in thin olive oil layers taki
ng place as a result of interaction with water using a photoacoustic techni
que were studied. The oil layers were spread from a solution in a volatile
solvent (ethyl ether) on the water and copper surface. These studies are a
natural continuation of the previous work on a layered system performed wit
hin the light range (680 nm), which pointed to the irregularities of oil la
yers related to their thickness is now expanded to the infrared band. A str
uctural irregularity was observed for a layer thickness of 100 mu m, but it
did not appear for the one of pure bulk oil. Signatures of irregularity we
re clearly observed in the phase plots whereas the amplitude dependences we
re not sensitive to them. The performed studies allowed one to relate the d
iversity of thermal parameters in the samples with structural changes found
in oil layers originated from oil-water interactions.