Coupling of ocean bottom seismometers to soft bottom

Unlike response of seismometers resting on hard rock where the seismometer case moves with the rock to high frequencies, the response of ocean bottom seismometers (OBS) can be strongly affected by the low mechanical strength of ocean sediments. The motion as measured by the seismometer will not follow the expected relationships between pressure and particle motion for different wave types. Cross coupling between horizontal and vertical motions can occur, especially when there is differential motion between water and sediment. Resonant amplification and attenuation of higher frequencies also occur. Secondary seismic arrivals are especially subject to distortion. Overall response is strongly dependent upon the mass and configuration of the OBS and the rigidity and density of the bottom material. Tests at Lopez Island, Puget Sound using both directly applied mechanical transients and seismic signals with various instrument configurations demonstrate the above effects and provide some guidance for improved designs.Hawaii Institute of Geophysics Contribution No. 1172.     

Fidelity of ocean bottom seismic observations

The often poor quality of ocean bottom seismic data, particularly that observed on horizontal seismometers, is shown to be the result of instruments responding to motions in ways not intended. Instruments designed to obtain the particle motion of the ocean bottom are found to also respond to motions of the water. The shear discontinuity across the ocean floor boundary results in torques that cause package rotation, rather than rectilinear motion, in response to horizontal ground or water motion. The problems are exacerbated by bottom currents and soft sediments. The theory and data presented in this paper suggest that the only reliable way of obtaining high fidelity particle motion data from the ocean floor is to bury the sensors below the bottom in a package with density close to that of the sediment. Long period signals couple well to ocean bottom seismometers, but torques generated by bottom currents can cause noise at both long and short periods. The predicted effects are illustrated using parameters appropriate for the operational OBS developed for the U. S. Office of Naval Research. Examples of data from ocean bottom and buried sensors are also presented.     

Optimum design of Ocean bottom seismometers

Ocean bottom seismometers (OBS) have been widely used during the past decade to collect seismic data for determination of the structure of the oceanic lithosphere, stress patterns in regions of earthquake activity, and geoacoustic parameters of the ocean floor. Data quality from these experiments has often been disappointing because of poor signal quality and high noise levels. Many of these problems result from motion of the OBS package that is decoupled from motion of the ocean floor. These coupling problems are more serious in the ocean than on land because of the low shear strengths of most ocean sediments. In this paper we continue to develop the theory of coupling of OBSs to soft sediments and arrive at results suggesting that OBS packages should be designed with: (1) the minimum mass possible, (2) radius of area in contact with the sediment proportional to the cube root of the mass, and the maximum radius less than 1/4 of the shear wavelength, (3) density of the OBS approximately that of the sediment, (4) a low profile and a small vertical cross section with water, and (5) low density gradients, and maximum symmetry about the vertical axis. Agreement of the theory with test data is good; most deviations are reasonable, given limitations of the theory and experiments. The theory also suggests that the coupling frequency, the frequency above which the OBS does not follow the motion of the sediment, is directly proportional to the sediment shear velocity.     

The vertical response of an ocean bottom seismometer: Analysis of the Lopez Island vertical transient tests

A lumped-parameter model was developed to predict the response of an ocean bottom seismometer, resting on relatively non-stiff sediments, to vertical ground-motion. The model predictions were compared with the response of an instrument on a foundation of foam rubber to a sinusoidal input. Comparison of the model data to the measured Lopez Island vertical transient test data showed that bearing pressure of the instrument in a nonuniform vertical soil profile causes certain instruments to experience a shear modulus higher than the mean.     

Stoneley waves,Lopez Island noise,and deep sea noise from 1 to 5 Hz

The Lopez Island OBS Intercomparison Experiment provided a data set of sufficient spatial density to allow study of the propagation of shot-generated Stoneley waves as well as ambient background noise. The Stoneley waves were observed propagating at velocities of 20 to 50 m s^-1, Phase velocities were determined by fitting peaks in the frequency wave number spectrum. Group velocities were calculated by narrowly filtering the data and determining the arrival time of the peak in the frequency packet. Particle displacement plots illustrate the surface wave character of these waves. The analysis of the ambient background noise failed to produce a clearly defined dispersion curve yet it did allow bounds to be placed on the phase velocities (20 to 50 m s^-1). The data were modeled using eleven layers overlying a half-space. The results indicated that the top 7 m of the sediment column at Lopez Island is best approximated by two zones. In the upper zone there is a fairly rapid change of shear velocity with depth. This zone overlies a region in which the shear velocity gradient is much lower. Deep ocean background noise recorded by University of Washington ocean bottom seismometers was also examined. Although insufficient data precluded any velocity analysis, definite similarities exist between these data and noise data observed at Lopez Island.Hawaii Institute of Geophysics Contribution No. 1174.     

Current-generated noise recorded on ocean bottom seismometers

High-amplitude, anrrow band noise that correlates with periods of high ocean bottom currents and the tidal cycle is occasionally observed on ocean bottom seismometers (OBS). The geophones on OBSs of different configurations are not equally sensitive to this noise and hydrophones are almost unaffected. With a suitable design, it should be possible to eliminate this noise problem.Hawaii Institute of Geophysics Contribution No. 1173     

Instrument calibration of ocean bottom seismographs

To increase the accuracy of measuring sea floor motion with ocean bottom seismometers, we calibrate the seismometer system on the ocean floor. Data from the sea floor calibration, augmented with electronic and land calibration data, enables us to find the OBS transfer function to an accuracy of 0.5% in the frequency range of 0.1 to 32 Hz. We are able to distinguish between temperature, instrument and OBS ground coupling effects, all of which alter the transfer function. This paper reviews our method of calibration and discusses the effects of temperature and some of the instrument design features on the vertical seismometer transfer function.     

Quantitative evaluation of a passively leveled ocean bottom seismometer

A problem in the use of ocean bottom seismometers is the difficulty in leveling the sensors while ensuring good coupling to the seafloor. We have investigated the coupling characteristics of the seismic sensors in the new ONR ocean bottom seismometer. In the deployable sensor package for that instrument, a three-component seismometer set is suspended on a 2-axis passive leveling gimbal and is immersed in a viscous fluid. We report tests, conducted in a seismic vault, comparing the output of a gimbaled seismometer set to that of a set rigidly coupled to the ground. Our results show that the degree to which the gimbaled set is coupled to ground motion is a function of the viscosity of the coupling fluid. The coherence between the two sensor sets is poor (<0.4) at some frequencies within the band of interest (0.15 to 20 Hz) and on some components when the viscosity of the coupling fluid is comparatively low (14 Pa-s or 0.16 kSt kinematic viscosity). In addition, the outputs of some components over portions of this frequency band are attenuated and are phase-shifted relative to the outputs of the set rigidly coupled to the ground. Coherence and phase response similarity improve as the viscosity of the coupling fluid is increased. With a coupling fluid viscosity of 980 Pa-s (10 kSt), coherence and phase agreement between the two sensor sets is good (>0.9) across nearly the entire band of interest on all three components. A simple analytical model of the gimbaled seismometer set as a damped, driven, compound-pendulum provides a basis for understanding the test results.     

Coupling parameters of the MIT OBS at two nearshore sites

A model representing the coupling of an ocean-bottom seismometer (OBS) to the seafloor as a mass-spring-dashpot system satisfactorily explains the results of transient tests performed on different instruments during the Lopez Island intercomparison test. In this paper, we compare the results obtained for the MIT OBS at Lopez Island to results from similar tests at a dockside site at Woods Hole, Massachusetts. The vertical instrument response at the Lopez Island site shows a highly damped resonance at a frequency of 22 Hz, whereas the response at the Woods Hole site shows a marked resonance at 13 Hz. The difference between the responses at the two sites can be qualitatively attributed to the difference between the surficial sediments.     

Bottom seismometer observation of airgun signals at Lopez Island

First arrival compressional wave signals from an airgun source, as detected by a variety of seismometers in a shallow bay, are remarkably uniform. However, minor variations in wavelet appearance imply some combination of the instrument response and coupling to the bottom. Signal spectra show typically a spectral peak at 12 Hz and an envelope very similar to that expected from an airgun source. Those instruments with a decoupled geophone package have spectra most like the theoretical spectrum but spectra for the other instruments are not significantly different. Little variation exists in spectra between tripod-mounted and inverted-pendulum OBS configurations for the low amplitude P-waves observed here. The signal source is the principal influence on the resulting spectra rather than OBS configuration or bottom coupling.     

On the nature of microshocks recorded by ocean bottom seismographs

The results of the study of short impulsive signals (microshocks) which constitute a specific type of noise on the records of ocean bottom seismographs are given. Various possible causes of their origin have been analysed. It is shown that the great majority of microshocks are produced by external causes: bottom displacements under an instrument at the deployment site and the mechanical action of marine organisms on OBSs. To cope with this kind of noise the use of parallel recording at two seismometers some distance apart is suggested.     

Mitobs: A seismometer system for ocean-bottom earthquake studies

The MIT ocean-bottom seismometer is a free-fall, pop-up instrument capable of recording three components of seismic data on the sea floor for periods of at least one month. Data are recorded in digital format on a specially designed magnetic tape recorder. An event recording scheme and semiconductor memories assure both efficient data storage and preservation of first motion information. Sensors and recording electronics are housed in a cylindrical pressure vessel, which sits vertically atop an expendable base plate on the ocean bottom. Attached to the pressure case are three glass spheres for buoyancy. After a pre-set time interval, a motor-driven mechanical latch release frees the instrument to float to the ocean surface for recovery.     

Real-time geophysical measurements on the deep seafloor usingsubmarine cable in the southern Kurile subduction zone

A permanent real-time geophysical observatory using a submarine cable was developed and deployed to monitor seismicity, tsunamis, and other geophysical phenomena in the southern Kurile subduction zone. The geophysical observatory comprises six bottom sensor units, two branching units, a main electro-optical cable with a length of 240 km and two land stations. The bottom sensor units are: 1) three ocean bottom broadband seismometers with hydrophone; 2) two pressure gauges (PGs); 3) a cable end station with environmental measurement sensors. Real-time data from all the undersea sensors are transmitted through the main electro-optical cable to the land station. The geophysical observatory was installed on the continental slope of the southern Kurile trench, southeast Hokkaido, Japan in July 1999. Examples of observed data are presented. Sensor noises and resolution are mentioned for the ocean bottom broadband seismometers and the PGs, respectively. An adaptable observation system including very broadband seismometers is scheduled to be connected to the branching unit in late 2001. The real-time geophysical observatory is expected to greatly advance the understanding of geophysical phenomena in the southern Kurile subduction zone     

Instrumental waveform distortion on ocean bottom seismometers

Data from the 1978 Lopez Island OBS Intercomparison Experiment and deep sea data from University of Washington OBSs show that there is a considerable amount of waveform distortion resulting from the conversion of horizontal motion into vertical motion, here called cross-coupling distortion. This distortion, which substancially reduces the significance of waveform matching with synthetic seismograms, appears to result from rotation imparted to the OBS package by near-vertically traveling shear energy. The degree of this rotation seems to depend on the instrument surface area above the seafloor and the geometry and surface area of the feet connecting the package to the seafloor. The sensitivity and response of the seismometers within the package to this rotation depends on the precise location of the seismometers with respect to the axis of rotation. The results suggest how to modify OBS designs to minimize these effects.University of Washington Contribution No. 1225.     

Impact of parameterized lee wave drag on the energy budget of an eddying global ocean model

The impact of parameterized topographic internal lee wave drag on the input and output terms in the total mechanical energy budget of a hybrid coordinate high-resolution global ocean general circulation model forced by winds and air-sea buoyancy fluxes is examined here. Wave drag, which parameterizes the generation of internal lee waves arising from geostrophic flow impinging upon rough topography, is included in the prognostic model, ensuring that abyssal currents and stratification in the model are affected by the wave drag.An inline mechanical (kinetic plus gravitational potential) energy budget including four dissipative terms (parameterized topographic internal lee wave drag, quadratic bottom boundary layer drag, vertical eddy viscosity, and horizontal eddy viscosity) demonstrates that wave drag dissipates less energy in the model than a diagnostic (offline) estimate would suggest, due to reductions in both the abyssal currents and stratification. The equator experiences the largest reduction in energy dissipation associated with wave drag in inline versus offline estimates. Quadratic bottom drag is the energy sink most affected globally by the presence of wave drag in the model; other energy sinks are substantially affected locally, but not in their global integrals. It is suggested that wave drag cannot be mimicked by artificially increasing the quadratic bottom drag because the energy dissipation rates associated with bottom drag are not spatially correlated with those associated with wave drag where the latter are small. Additionally, in contrast to bottom drag, wave drag is a non-local energy sink.All four aforementioned dissipative terms contribute substantially to the total energy dissipation rate of about one terawatt. The partial time derivative of potential energy (non-zero since the isopycnal depths have a long adjustment time), the surface advective fluxes of potential energy, the rate of change of potential energy due to diffusive mass fluxes, and the conversion between internal energy and potential energy also play a non-negligible role in the total mechanical energy budget. Reasons for the <10% total mechanical energy budget imbalance are discussed.     

On the use of an externally deployed geophone package on an Ocean Bottom Seismometer

We describe a recent modification to the MIT Ocean Bottom Seismometer by which the geophones are housed in a separate package that is deployed on the sea floor about 1 m distance from the main unit several hours after the OBS reaches the ocean bottom. Records from deep-sea experiments and shallow-water tests show two improvements over records from geophones housed in the main instrument package. Signals recorded by the external geophones have a much better signal-to-noise ratio because tape recorder noise and instrument vibrations generated by water currents are effectively eliminated. As a result, the overall frequency response of the sensors to ground motion has a demonstrably smoother spectral shape. The second improvement is that the cross coupling of horizontal instrument motion to vertical ground motion is apparently greatly reduced because of the simpler design for the sensor package.     

南海北部沙波区海底强流的内波特征及其对沙波运动的影响

2008年3月6日至2008年4月9日, 在南海北部外陆架与陆坡上的沙波区进行了海底流速的连续观测，观测结果表明潮流与海流较弱，但时有流速达30—77cm.s-1的海底强流发生。强流方向与南海北部内波传播方向相对应，多分布在偏NW向与偏SE向。偏SE向流强于偏NW向流，与内波在传播方向上的下坡流大于上坡流的特征一致。对流速序列进行了旋转功率谱分析，结果表明，高于M2分潮的频率中，众多的振荡分量具有内波流性质，说明阵发性强流为内波所致。采用观测流速计算了沙波的移动速度，计算结果得出强流能起动海底泥沙，由于NW向传播（上坡方向）的内波导致了SE向（下坡方向）的净流动，沙波偏SE向移动，但沙波移动速度不大，小型沙波移动速度小于1.6m.a-1。采用潮流、风暴潮耦合模型计算了强台风驱动的海底流速过程，表明潮流、风暴潮耦合也能移动海底沙波，但沙波移动方向与台风路径相关，不一定为SE向，且移动距离更小，潮流、风暴潮耦合不是沙波移动的主要动力机制。     

Multidisciplinary geophysical measurements on the ocean floor usingdecommissioned submarine cables: VENUS project

To perform geophysical and multidisciplinary real-time measurements on the ocean floor, it has been attempted to reuse decommissioned submarine cables. The VENUS project reuses the TPC-2, which is one of these systems and runs across the entire Philippine Sea Plate between Guam Island and Okinawa Island. The VENUS system comprises an ocean floor observatory, a submarine cable, and a land system. The major components of the ocean floor observatory are geophysical instruments and a telemetry system. There are seven scientific instrument units including broadband seismometers and a hydrophone array. Digital telemetry using the old analog telephone cable obtains high data accuracy and real-time accessibility to data from a laboratory on land. The bottom-telemetry system and a part of sensor units were installed at a depth of 2157 m on the landward slope of the Ryukyu (Nansei-Syoto) Trench on August 29, 1999. The data from the hydrophone array and tsunami gauge have been correctly transmitted to the data center. The rest of the scientific instruments will be deployed by deep-tow equipment and a remotely operated vehicle. Using a decommissioned submarine cable will greatly reduce construction costs compared to using a new cable system     

Motion Analysis and Trials of the Deep Sea Hybrid Underwater Glider Petrel-Ⅱ

A hybrid underwater glider Petrel-II has been developed and field tested. It is equipped with an active buoyancy unit and a compact propeller unit. Its working modes have been expanded to buoyancy driven gliding and propeller driven level-flight, which can make the glider work in strong currents, as well as many other complicated ocean environments. Its maximal gliding speed reaches 1 knot and the propelling speed is up to 3 knots. In this paper, a 3D dynamic model of Petrel-II is derived using linear momentum and angular momentum equations. According to the dynamic model, the spiral motion in the underwater space is simulated for the gliding mode. Similarly the cycle motion on water surface and the depth-keeping motion underwater are simulated for the level-flight mode. These simulations are important to the performance analysis and parameter optimization for the Petrel-II underwater glider.The simulation results show a good agreement with field trials.     

Motion Analysis and Trials of the Deep Sea Hybrid Underwater Glider Petrel-II

A hybrid underwater glider Petrel-II has been developed and field tested. It is equipped with an active buoyancy unit and a compact propeller unit. Its working modes have been expanded to buoyancy driven gliding and propeller driven level-flight, which can make the glider work in strong currents, as well as many other complicated ocean environments. Its maximal gliding speed reaches 1 knot and the propelling speed is up to 3 knots. In this paper, a 3D dynamic model of Petrel-II is derived using linear momentum and angular momentum equations. According to the dynamic model, the spiral motion in the underwater space is simulated for the gliding mode. Similarly the cycle motion on water surface and the depth-keeping motion underwater are simulated for the level-flight mode. These simulations are important to the performance analysis and parameter optimization for the Petrel-II underwater glider. The simulation results show a good agreement with field trials.