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     

A seamless system for the collection and cultivation of extremophiles from deep-ocean hydrothermal vents

Pele's Pit is a 300-m-deep pit crater whose summit rises to a depth of 1000 m on the Loihi submarine volcano 34 km south of the island of Hawaii. Hydrothermal vents with water temperatures up to 198/spl deg/C have been observed at the basal edge of the pit. We fabricated a "seamless" system comprising submersible-mounted samplers, a helium-activated sample transfer system, and a series of 1-l Teflon-lined stainless-steel bioreactors that maintain ambient temperature and pressure in hydrothermal vent fluids collected from hydrothermal vents in the pit crater. The bioreactors can sustain pressures to 150 atm. and temperatures over 165/spl deg/C. The system was deployed during October 2001 Pisces V submersible operations on Pele's Pit during which the maximum vent water temperature measured was 90/spl deg/C.     

Powering cabled ocean-bottom observatories

A critical and potentially difficult problem for ocean-bottom observatories is the electrical power sub-system. While huge effort and expense has gone into development of land power grids and ocean communication cable power, the characteristics of ocean-bottom observatories require different strategies. Ocean-bottom observatories terminate on the ocean floor where large variable loads are installed, whereas commercial ocean-bottom cables terminate on land and normally have relatively fixed loads. Design considerations such as whether to use a constant current or constant voltage source, choice of voltage and current levels and cable capacitance and impedance are considered. Ocean-bottom observatory science requirements in the future will demand multiple loads along the cable, cable branches, fault protection and redundancy. The realities of high cable capacitance and the negative dynamic impedance of switching power supplies require that rapid load changes either be anticipated or prevented. Without proper control, rapid changes in load can result in instability and collapse of the power system. The strategy suggested in this paper requires that each load point (or junction box where science experiments will be attached to the system) be "smart" enough to keep load variations within tolerance bounds     

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     

Study on 10 kVDC powered junction box for a cabled ocean observatory system

A cabled ocean observatory system that can provide abundant power and broad bandwidth communication for undersea instruments is developed. A 10 kV direct current (kVDC) with up to 10 kW power, along with 1 Gigabit/sec Ethernet communication, can be transmitted from the shore to the seafloor through an umbilical armored cable. A subsea junction box is fixed at a cable terminal, enabling the extension of up to nine connections. The box consists of three main pressure vessels that perform power conversion, power distribution, and real-time communication functions. A method of stacking modules is used to design the power conversion system in order to reduce the 10 kV voltage to levels that can power the attached instruments. A power distribution system and an Ethernet communication system are introduced to control the power supply and transmit data or commands between the terminals and the shore station, respectively. Specific validations of all sections were qualified in a laboratory environment prior to the sea trial. The ocean observatory system was then deployed at the coast of the East China Sea along with three in situ instruments for a 14-day test. The results show that this high voltage-powered observatory system is effective for subsea long-term and real-time observations.     

Ocean-bottom seismometer observations of seismic activity at Loihi Seamount,Hawaii

This study reports the result of deep ocean-bottom seismometer recording of an undersea volcanic event in progress. An array of five three-component, isolated sensor ocean-bottom seismometers (ISOBS) was deployed for 28 days on the summit and flanks of Loihi Seamount, Hawaii, to monitor seismicity. The deployment was prompted by reports from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) of a swarm of small-magnitude events located beneath the active submarine volcano in late September, 1986. Monitoring of this earthquake swarm by the University of Hawaii commenced 1 October 1986. Although seismicity tapered off rapidly after 11 October, more than 200 events were located. Systematic changes in spatial clustering during the initial swarm activity suggest changing patterns of stress within this crustal volume, possibly due to induced stress resulting from magma movement in the underlying crust or deep portions of the edifice.Most of the very shallow (< 10 km) events were located beneath the summit and southwest flank of the elongate edifice. No shallow tremor was observed despite a search through the data, although such tremor may have ceased prior to deployment of the ocean-bottom seismometers (OBS). Constraints on the association between seismicity and observed topographic and tectonic elements of Loihi are also of primary importance. Many of the earthquakes located near the steep flanks generated rock falls that were recorded on the OBSs. This is consistent with the results of dredge and bottom photography data indicating that the flanks are covered with fragments of shattered lava pillows and flows. Dike intrusion and mass wasting are major influences on the morphology of Loihi. Intact flows have been observed near the deep portion of the south rift zone; however, few events were located in that region during this swarm.     

The Hawaii-2 Observatory

A permanent deep ocean scientific research facility-the Hawaii-2 Observatory (H2O)-was installed on the retired HAW-2 commercial submarine telephone cable in September 1998. H2O consists of a seafloor submarine cable termination and junction box in 5000 m of water located halfway between Hawaii and California. The H2O infrastructure was installed from a large research vessel using the Jason ROV and standard over-the-side gear. The junction box provides two-way digital communication at variable data rates of up to 80 kbit/s using the RS-422 protocol and a total of 400 W of power for both junction box systems and user equipment. Instruments may be connected by an ROV to the junction box at 8 wet-mateable connectors. The H2O junction box is a "smart" design, which incorporates redundancy to protect against failure and allows full control of instrument functionality from shore. Initial instrumentation at the H2O site includes broad-band seismometer and hydrophone packages     

A network-based telemetry architecture developed for the Martha'sVineyard Coastal Observatory

Underwater observatories with real-time data and virtually unlimited power transmission capabilities compared to traditional oceanographic moorings are beginning to provide scientists with continuous access to the coastal and open ocean. However, for any coastal observatory to serve as a cost-effective system for the collection of long-term scientific and environmental data, it must have a simple, upgradeable power and telemetry system and an instrument interface that is compatible with existing standards. It must be designed for extended environmental exposure and ease of service to avoid high maintenance costs. Most importantly, the observatory must be accessible to all potential users, including students, scientists, engineers, and policy makers. This strategy was applied to the design of the Martha's Vineyard Coastal Observatory on the south shore of the island of Martha's Vineyard. The new facility, and in particular its system architecture, as developed by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution with support from the National Science Foundation, are described     

Registration of tsunamis in the open ocean

Abstract

The small tsunami of February 23, 1980, which originated near the southern part of the Kuril Islands was recorded by the bottom vibrotron sensor installed on the shelf near Shikotan Island and connected to the island observatory by underwater cable. The marigram of the tsunami is given and compared with marigrams obtained at shore tide gauges. Some spectral features of the records are discussed.     

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     

A permanent seismic station beneath the Ocean Bottom

The Hawaii Institute of Geophysics began development of the Ocean Subbottom Seisometer (OSS) system in 1978, and OSS systems were installed in four locations between 1979 and 1982. The OSS system is a permanent, deep ocean borehole seismic recording system composed of a borehole sensor package (tool), an electromechanical cable, recorder package, and recovery system. Installed near the bottom of a borehole (drilled by the D/V Glomar Challenger), the tool contains three orthogonal, 4.5-Hz geophones, two orthogonal tilt meters; and a temperature sensor. Signals from these sensors are multiplexed, digitized (with a floating point technique), and telemetered through approximately 10 km of electromechanical cable to a recorder package located near the ocean bottom. Electrical power for the tool is supplied from the recorder package. The digital seismic signals are demultiplexed, converted back to analog form, processed through an automatic gain control (AGC) circuit, and recorded along with a time code on magnetic tape cassettes in the recorder package. Data may be recorded continuously for up to two months in the self-contained recorder package. Data may also be recorded in real time (digital formal) during the installation and subsequent recorder package servicing. The recorder package is connected to a submerged recovery buoy by a length of bouyant polypropylene rope. The anchor on the recovery buoy is released by activating either of the acoustical command releases. The polypropylene rope may also be seized with a grappling hook to effect recovery. The recorder package may be repeatedly serviced as long as the tool remains functionalA wide range of data has been recovered from the OSS system. Recovered analog records include signals from natural seismic sources such as earthquakes (teleseismic and local), man-made seismic sources such as refraction seismic shooting (explosives and air cannons), and nuclear tests. Lengthy continuous recording has permitted analysis of wideband noise levels, and the slowly varying parameters, temperature and tilt.Hawaii Institute of Geophysics Contribution 1909.     

OTEC cold-water pipe research

Shelf-mounted Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) plants require installation of cold-water pipes (CWP) on slopes of40degto depths of 1000 m. In addition, tower platforms containing OTEC power systems may be located on lesser sloped terrain near shore and exposed to special environmental loading problems affecting foundation design. Shelf-mounted installations require careful attention to site selection and geotechnical considerations for foundation integrity on sloped surfaces. This paper primarily discusses research associated with cold-water pipe and foundation installations on steep slopes, although research continues on tower platforms located on the shelf. At least five nations are in various stages of development of OTEC systems for island applications. Each of their systems is either shelf mounted or land based and requires that a large diameter cold-water pipe be installed on a steep slope to provide cold water from 1000-m depths. In addition to the installation and deployment of the large cold-water pipe, the most significant problem is the design and installation of suitable foundations that will last for several decades. To date there is very little experience in the offshore industry for large installations on steep slopes. A major scale-model research project is underway on the slopes of the island of Hawaii. A section of pipe 2.4 m in diameter and 24 m long was installed using combination concrete foundations and joints. The pipe and foundations are fully instrumented to measure environmental loading forces due principally to currents and waves. Environmental measurements will also be taken in the test area. The measurement data will be used to validate available analytical models for subsequent use in aiding industry in providing more cost-effective designs for OTEC pipes and foundations.     

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.     

Ocean bottom seismograph development at Hawaii Institute of Geophysics

Three distinct ocean bottom seismograph (OBS) systems have been developed at the Hawaii Institute of Geophysics to satisfy the different requirements for short-range refraction and anisotropy experiments, long-range refraction experiments, and short-term and semi-permanent monitoring for earthquakes. One system, originally designed for semi-permanent use in conjunction with a monster buoy of the IDOE North Pacific Experiment has been modified for emplacement off Oahu. It contains 3-component 1 Hz seismometers and a hydrophone and obtains power and transmits data via tow conductor cable. Two additional systems were designed for short-term use: a 2 Hz telemetering system (TOBS); and 4.5 Hz free-fall pop-up system (POBS). The TOBS contains 3-component seismometers and a hydrophone and transmits data to the ship via light-weight single-conductor electromechanical cable and an HF-VHF radio link from a surface buoy. The bottom package also includes a backup tape recorder. This system exhibits the advantages of real-time data acquisition (e.g. precise timing, rapid appraisal of data quality, optimum use of explosives, and common recording with other data) and the complexities and difficulties associated with a deep-sea mooring. However, use of cable with near neutral bouyancy permits the design of a deep-water system with low weights and stress levels. The POBS is a self-contained package containing a vertical and single horizontal seismometer, hydrophone, cassette tape recorder, and pre-set timed release. This system is relatively simple and inexpensive. Total weight of 150 kg in air (before launch) permits emplacement and retrieval from a ship with no special equipment by two (strong) persons. Experience to data suggests that the optimum deployment scheme for many studies is a combination of TOBS's and POBS's.Hawaii Institute of Geophysics Contribution 835.     

应用于海洋站温盐传感器的缓冲止旋方法

为解决温盐传感器在海洋站应用中存在的电缆缠绕和壳体磨损等问题,保障传感器的长期业务化运行,文章提出改进温盐传感器安装方式的缓冲止旋方法。研究结果表明：在实验室环境下,通过以螺旋电缆代替直线电缆和设计缓冲浮子装置二者结合的温盐传感器安装方式,可有效减少电缆缠绕、避免传感器磕碰磨损和减小海流影响,同时安装简单、便于维护和具有广泛应用性。该方法仍须在海洋站实际应用中进一步验证和完善。     

New Scientific Underwater Cable System Tokai-SCANNER for Underwater Geophysical Monitoring Utilizing a Decommissioned Optical Underwater Telecommunication Cable

We have developed a new cost-effective scientific underwater cable system named Tokai Submarine Cabled Network Observatory for Nowcast of Earthquake Recurrences (Tokai-SCANNER) using a decommissioned optical underwater telecommunication cable. We have used this cable in two ways simultaneously: 1) to construct an ocean-bottom observatory at the end of the cable, and 2) to use the cable as a long emitting antenna to sense electromagnetic properties of the Earth's crust. We have also developed a new time-synchronization system that sends a one-pulse-per-second (1PPS) signal and NMEA data to underwater sensors. To vary the supply voltage and current to the observatory and to emit a low-frequency electromagnetic field around the underwater cable, we have also developed an underwater power unit that has a wide input voltage and current range. Tokai-SCANNER has been functioning since April 2007.      

海底观测网深水设备精准定点布放方法研究

海底观测网因其实时、长期、连续、高精度时钟同步及原位等优势而逐渐成为人类研究海洋的新型平台,建设规模和应用水深都在不断扩大。海底观测网系统建设中,深水设备的精准定点布放及湿插拔作业是施工的难点。针对国内海底观测网精准定位布放作业存在的困难和问题,结合国内现有施工条件,提出一种大深度海底设备精准定点布放安装方法,实现南海深海海底观测网试验系统深水设备精准定位布放与ROV湿插拔作业,对未来大规模海底观测网及其它深水工程中设备的精准定点布放和安装,具有参考和借鉴意义。     

Target Deployment and Retrieval Using JIAOLONG Manned Submersible in the Depth of 6600 m in Mariana Trench

China''s 7000 m manned submersible JIAOLONG carried out an exploration cruise at the Mariana Trench from June to July 2016. The submersible completed nine manned dives on the north and south area of the Mariana Trench from the depth of 5500 to 6700 m, to investigate the geological, biological and chemical characteristics in the hadal area. During the cruise, JIAOLONG deployed a gas-tight serial sampler to collect the water near the sea bottom regularly. Five days later, the sub located the sampler in another dive and retrieved it successfully from the same location, which is the first time that scientists and engineers finished the high accuracy in-situ deployment and retrieval using a manned submersible with Ultra-Short Base Line (USBL) positioning system at the depth more than 6600 m. In this task, we used not only the USBL system of the manned submersible but also a compound strategy, including five position marks, the sea floor terrain, the depth contour, and the heading of the sub. This paper introduces the compound strategy of the target deployment and retrieval with the practical diving experience of JIAOLONG, and provides a promising technique for other underwater vehicles such as manned submersible or Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) under similar conditions.     

深海潜标姿态的动力学仿真分析与验证及沉降原因探究

论文结合中国科学院海洋研究所2017年至2018年在西太平洋布放的一套6000m深自容式锚泊潜标系统,利用其温、深、盐及海流数据,参考卫星观测的海面资料,依据潜标结构组成,创新性地选用多体动力学软件ADAMS建立柔性缆体有限元模型,进行复原式姿态模拟,对此潜标异常沉降情况进行原因探究,提出减小因潜标大深度沉降导致影响的方法。本文所提出的柔性体模型,可依据海流参数变化改变有限元长度,自定义流阻状态,已被证明在较小海流和海流异常大两种分布模型的拟下,计算机有限元模型分析所得绝对沉降误差达缆绳总长0.18%和0.41%。通过计算机模型依据实际情况的模拟结果,最终印证异常沉降值的形成原因：（1）在系泊结构既定且安全布放的前提下,其沉降异常值的出现只能与其当日所处环境的海流分布状态相关。模型锚泊最大受力8621N,合理选择布放地点、潜标材料可降低系泊损坏风险;（2）若大洋中尺度涡形成和临近导致流速激增,其对整个系统的作用将决定锚系系统布放期间异常沉降深度,由于中尺度涡的形成与迁移具有可预报性,结合系泊深度和位置的及时调整可减小超深度沉降所导致的影响。     

SAR, NAUTILE, SAGA, ELIT--Four new vehicles for underwater work and exploration: The IFREMER approach

Manned or unmanned, towed, tethered, or acoustically remote-controlled underwater vehicles are the necessary tools of deep-ocean exploration as well as the exploitation of the continental shelf mineral resources. It is possible to identify categories of tasks for which a type of vehicle is best suited, and in each of those categories, the Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER), the French agency for ocean research, has designed new sophisticated vehicles, giving to scientists and engineers a set of tools to fulfill most of their needs. SAR is a broad-range high-resolution side-scan sonar designed for detailed acoustic surveys; NAUTILE is a 6000-m capability manned submersible; SAGA is a large autonomy lock-out 600-m submersible. Finally, ELIT will be a totally autonomous vehicle for inspection of oil underwater structures.