A note on the seafloor coupling characteristics of the new ONR ocean-bottom seismometer

A series of transient tests were conducted to determine the seafloor coupling characteristics of a new ocean-bottom seismometer (OBS) developed for the United States Office of Naval Research (ONR). The OBS comprises a large recording package and a separate sensor package that is deployed from the recording package. In addition to the coupling characteristics of both the sensor and the recording packages, the seismic energy radiated from the main recording package as a result of motion of the recording package was measured. The observed vertical coupling resonances of both the recording package and the sensor package are in good agreement with those predicted by a simple model of soil-structure interaction. The most important result of this study is that significant energy is radiated from the recording package in response to horizontal motions of the recording package. When the sensor package is 1 m from the recording package, the amplitude of the recorded signal is similar to that recorded in the recording package. In the field, this effect will result in distortion of seismic signals and increased background noise recorded by the sensor package if the recording package is disturbed by seafloor currents or biological activity. The amplitude of this signal attenuates by approximately a factor of two as sensor/recorder separation is increased from 1 to 6 m, suggesting that an improved response can be achieved by increasing the separation between the recording package and the sensors. This effect is much less severe for vertical disturbances of the recording package.     

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.     

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.     

An ocean bottom,microprocessor based seismometer

We describe the design and construction of an ocean bottom seismometer configured as a computer, based on an Intersil IM6100 microprocessor plus appropriate peripheral devices. The sensors consist of triaxial 1 Hz seismometers and a hydrophone, each sensor channel being filtered prior to digitizing so that typical noise spectra are whitened. Digital data are recorded serially on magnetic tape. The instrument is placed on the ocean bottom by allowing it to fall freely from just below the surface. An acoustic system allows precise determination of instrument position, acoustic recall, and transmission of operational information to the surface. Release from an expendable anchor is accomplished by redundant pyrotechnic bolts which can be fired by acoustic command or by precision timers.The operational flexibility provided by the micro-computer, which executes the DEC PDP8/E instruction set, enables optimum use of the 6-hr recording capacity (at 128 samples/second/channel) in the context of the particular experiment being performed.

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underwThe Hawaii-2 Observatory seismic system

The Hawaii-2 Observatory seismic system is currently transmitting high-quality seismic data from the ocean floor in the central NE Pacific Ocean through Hawaii to the IRIS Data Management Center. The system includes broad-band seismic, geophone, acoustic, and ocean current sensors. The seismic sensors are buried about 0.4 m below the ocean floor to improve coupling to the ocean bottom and to reduce noise levels. The system can be remotely calibrated, leveled and locked, and gains can be changed on command from shore. Data are temporarily stored in the seismic package for retransmission as needed to correct for transmission problems and to prevent loss of data. Data generated are valuable for studies of the Earth's structure and the dynamics of earthquakes     

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.     

MERIS遥感数据特性及应用

中等分辨率成像频谱仪(M ER IS)是搭载于由欧洲空间局(ESA)发射的迄今为止最大的综合性环境卫星ENV ISAT-1上的主要传感器,由法国和荷兰共同研制,是目前水色传感器中最有优势的传感器之一。文中主要介绍了M ER IS遥感数据的特点,与M OD IS、SeaW IFS传感器相比,M ER IS在波段设置与辐射灵敏度等方面都有较大的优势,更适合于海洋水色的应用。针对M ER IS的波段设置,重点介绍了M ER IS数据在海洋水色的应用范围与应用原理,并简要介绍其在大气与陆地上的应用。     

Ocean bottom seismograph

The ocean bottom seismograph described in this paper has been developed primarily for recording earthquakes on the mid-oceanic ridges. The instrument is suitable for dropping onto the most rugged areas of the ocean floor. Acoustic tracking with the ship's precision echo sounder enables it to be located there relative to both the topography of the sea bed and the ship. The outputs of a 3-component seismometer and a hydrophone are recorded in FM form on a low-power magnetic tape recorder designed specifically for the instrument.     

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.     

Seismic monitoring of western Pacific typhoons

Typhoons inflict large damage to societies, but are usually difficult to monitor in close proximity in real-time without expensive instruments. Here we study the possibility of using seismic waveforms on the seafloor and on land to monitor the turning of a far away or approaching typhoon. Up to 67% of the typhoons making landfall in Taiwan come from the eastern shore, so that we deployed broadband ocean-bottom seismometers (OBSs) offshore eastern Taiwan in 2006 to study ground motion in close proximity to a typhoon. Typhoons generate ocean waves, which generate pressure signals in the water column before being transmitted to the seafloor as seismic waves and recorded by the OBSs. The ground motions on the seafloor correlate with locally increased (ocean) wave heights and wave periods, suggesting that the ground motions are mostly induced by in situ or nearby pressure fields, as shown by coherence function analyses. When a typhoon turns and changes wave-wave interaction near the source region, a new set of en echelon patterns develops which can be observed by OBSs and land stations. Similar features occur when a typhoon crosses a landmass and re-enters the ocean. The energy level ratio between the single-frequency and double-frequency microseisms also changes abruptly when the typhoon turns. These features can potentially help near real-time early warning with little cost to complement other conventional typhoon early warning methods.     

Improvement of earthquake locations with the Marine Cable Hosted Observatory (MACHO) offshore NE Taiwan

In order to improve the locating capability for offshore earthquakes and tsunamis monitored off northeastern Taiwan, a cable-based ocean bottom seismographic observatory named “Marine Cable Hosted Observatory” (MACHO) was constructed and began operation at the end of 2011. The installed instruments of the observatory include a broadband seismometer, a strong-motion seismometer and a pressure gauge. In addition, various scientific instruments could be deployed for other purposes as well. At present, the seismic data are transmitted in real-time via a fiber cable, and integrated into the current inland seismographic network in Taiwan. The ocean bottom station has contributed to provide high quality seismic data already. According to observations from January 2012 to June 2013, there were a total of 15,168 earthquakes recorded by the system. By using the data from the ocean bottom station, the number of relocated earthquakes with an azimuth gap less than 180 degrees substantially increase about 34 %. Meanwhile, the root–mean–square of the time residual, the error in epicenter, and the error in depth of the earthquake locations decrease. Therefore, the implementation of MACHO has the advantage of extending the coverage of existing the Taiwan seismic network to the offshore, providing more accurate and real-time seismic data for offshore earthquakes monitoring. The results show that MACHO is crucial and necessary for monitoring seismic activities in northeastern Taiwan.     

Extending the versatility of the Bullard heat probe

A versatile probe for simultaneous studies of heat flow and near-bottom water parameters has evolved through modifications of the Bullard heat probe frame. Suitable sensor arrays have been used with this instrument to study (1) heat flow through the ocean floor, (2) water column temperature structure, (3) near-bottom current speeds, and (4) the differential cooling of water-column temperature sensors placed in a current speed gradient.Some of the advantages of such a modified Bullard probe are: (1) several parameters, including heat flow, can be measured across the sediment-water interface simultaneously, (2) the instrument frame is rigidly pinned to the ocean floor during measurement, permitting true Eulerian measurement in the water column with no effects of ship movement, swaying moorings or cable oscillation, and (3) the device is inexpensive and simple.     

国产深海准实时传输潜标系统设计

基于海洋环境安全保障、海洋环境预报和海洋科学研究的需要,开展国产深海准实时传输潜标系统的设计,重点进行锚泊系统水动力分析、观测设备工作同步性、准实时通讯系统安全可靠和系统低功耗等整体技术设计;开展轻型感应耦合传输缆制作、大深度感应耦合传输和智能收放通讯等数据实时通讯技术的研究;进行适用于准实时传输潜标系统的多种类国产设备的稳定性和可靠性优化、规模化集成和系统化的应用示范,形成半潜升降式准实时通讯潜标与浮子式准实时通讯潜标各1套。所设计的准实时传输潜标系统集成了1台抗污染CTD、19台感应耦合CTD、8台感应耦合T、4台感应耦合传输的ADCP、2台单点海流计和6台感应耦合数据传输仪,并配有2套声学释放器;潜标系统本体设计含有3个水下流线型浮体、1套通讯浮子、1套准实时卫星通讯装置（半潜式水下绞车或海面浮子）和1套锚泊缆系,可实现深达2 000 mm的剖面温盐深和海流等海洋要素的高频率、多要素、多层次的长期连续观测和数据准实时传输,以便对科学问题解决和海洋环境安全保障等提供及时的数据支撑。     

A digital event-recording ocean bottom seismometer capsule

The ocean bottom seismometer capsule contains a 1 Hz. vertical seismometer and triggerable or programmable digital recording system. The output of the seismometer is continuously digitized at a preselected rate of 64, 128, or 256 samples/sec. The digital data words are mixed with a time code and synchronization characters, serialized and passed through a 1536 sample shift register which acts as a delay line. The serial output bits are then encoded and recorded on a SONY TC800B tape recorder which is turned on when a seismic event occurs. The event trigger occurs when the seismic signal jumps to 8 times the time averaged input signal. A memory may be programmed to run the recorder on a schedule so that small amplitude signals from refraction shots are sure to be recorded. Data are recovered using the same recorder for playback and a decoder which provides an analog output for field data interpretation or a digital output for computer analysis. An acoustic transponder allows precise ranges between the capsule and ship to be determined. In addition, commands for the capsule to release or to transmit diagnostic data may be given from the surface ship. The capsule falls freely to the ocean bottom. After a predetermined time or when a release command is received, it is released from a 68 kg steel tripod and floats to the surface. A dual timer and explosive bolt system is used to increase recovery reliability.The first capsules were designed and constructed between October 1972 and October 1973. Good results were obtained from 38 out of 43 launchings made on six expeditions in 1974, 1975, and 1976. Four capsules have been lost.     

Ocean bottom refraction seismograph (OBRS)

This paper describes a pop-up ocean bottom seismograph designed primarily for refraction surveys both on the continental shelf and in deep sea. Its development is the extension of our system based on seismic detectors located on the sea floor with radio transmission of seismic signals and used for seismic refraction studies on the continental shelf. The seismic detectors (vertical geophone or hydrophone and two orthogonally mounted horizontal geophones) are located outside of the pressure vessel on the main frame. Optionally, the seismic sensors may be decoupled from the main frame assembly. This decoupling is performed by a mobile arm positioning the separate three component sensor package on the sea floor.Contribution No. 455 of the Département Scientifique, Centre Océanologique de Bretagne.     

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.     

中高空间分辨率宽波段光学卫星传感器参数赤潮探测影响研究

中高空间分辨率宽波段光学卫星已成为赤潮监测的主要数据源,但与水色卫星传感器不同,中高空间分辨率卫星传感器主要面向陆地应用,其波段数量少、宽度大,由此对赤潮探测带来的影响尚待研究。为此,本文基于不同优势种赤潮实测高光谱数据、时空同步的GF-1 WFV2、GF-1 WFV3传感器影像、Sentinel-2A MSI传感器影像及GF-6 WFV传感器影像,探究了波段设置、光谱响应函数、信噪比及空间分辨率对赤潮探测的影响,并分析了红边波段赤潮探测优势。结果表明:波段设置对赤潮探测影响大,特别是红光波段和红边波段的中心波长和波段宽度;波段设置相同的情况下,赤潮探测精度受光谱响应函数的影响大,受信噪比的影响较小;空间分辨率对赤潮探测的影响较大,空间分辨率的提升有助于提高赤潮探测的精度。红边波段赤潮探测实验表明,较之红光波段,基于红边波段的赤潮探测具有明显的优势,平均F1-Score提高了11%。本文的研究结果一方面可为赤潮中高空间分辨率卫星探测的数据选取提供理论依据,另一方面可为中高空间分辨率卫星传感器的设计提供参考。     

VLF propagation loss to a buried seismometer

The propagation loss from a shallow underwater explosion to a buried vertically polarized seismometer over the frequency band between 3 and 15 Hz was measured during the 1983 Ngendei Experiment. The data was recorded in 5.5-km-deep water in the southwest Pacific with a triaxial borehole seismograph emplaced 50 m within the basaltic basement. It is found that the average power decays as r^-3 (r is slant range) beyond 30 km and that the propagation loss is minimal between 6-9 Hz. At shorter ranges, the propagation loss is more complicated and exhibits a stronger frequency dependence. Power in the first water wave is estimated for both buried and ocean-bottom sensors. The ocean-bottom power is approximately 7 dB higher than that recorded by the buried sensor, and both exhibit similar decay rates     

Comparison of Kalman and least squares filters for locatingautonomous very low frequency acoustic sensors

The Marine Physical Laboratory has designed, fabricated, and taken to sea self-contained, freely drifting acoustic sensors which can measure signal propagation and ambient ocean noise in the 1-20-Hz band for up to 25-hour periods. The deployment of several freely drifting floats forms an array of sensors whose outputs can be combined after the experiment with a beamformer. A Kalman filter and a least-squares estimator have been developed to estimate float positions from travel-time measurements. Computer simulation is used to compare filter performance-under several deployment scenarios. Results show that the Kalman filter performs better than the least-squares filter when the floats are subjected to small-magnitude accelerations between measurements. Neither filter was sensitive to relatively major changes in deployment geometry as long as the sound-speed profile is known exactly     

通用型海洋水色遥感精确瑞利散射查找表

当前对海洋水色遥感精确瑞利散射的计算均采用查找表方式进行,但由于这些查找表是针对特定遥感器生成的,无法直接应用于新的水色遥感器,给实际应用带来一定程度的麻烦,为此提出了一种通用的海洋水色遥感精确瑞利散射查找表.首先,详细地推导了加倍法解大气矢量辐射传输方程的基本关系式和实际的计算原理.通过与MODIS精确瑞利散射查找表计算结果比较,证明利用加倍法计算瑞利散射的精度优于0.25%,完全能够满足当前海洋水色遥感大气校正对瑞利散射计算精度的要求,并可以用来生成精确瑞利散射查找表.其次,利用加倍法解大气矢量辐射传输方程,生成了一个通用的海洋水色遥感精确瑞利散射查找表,验证结果表明该查找表可用于所有水色遥感器的精确瑞利散射计算,且计算精度优于0.5%.