Development and Testing of a Deep-Water, Acoustically-Linked, Moored-Buoy Seafloor Observatory

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole MA

Investigators

Abstract

0215670 Detrick This Major Research Instrumentation award to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts provides funds to develop and test a prototype deep-water, acoustically-linked, moored-buoy seafloor observatory. The system will consist of a discus buoy on a single-point, deep-water mooring, equipped with a satellite link for 2-way communication to shore and a high-speed acoustic modem for 2-way communication with sensors on the seafloor and on the mooring itself. The suite of sensors, at two seafloor nodes, will include an ocean bottom seismograph (OBS), an acoustic current profiler (ADCP), hydrothermal flow meters with associated temperature, chemical and pressure sensors and a conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) instrument. All will be interfaced to two acoustic modems, and they will transmit data to the surface buoy of the mooring, from which they will be transmitted daily to shore together with meteorological data from sensors on the surface buoy and current meter data from instruments installed on the mooring. The mooring will be deployed for a 15-month demonstration project in the vicinity of the Nootka Fault, where complementary observatory experiments will be carried out under separate support from the Keck Foundation. The project is supported by the Division of Ocean Sciences at NSF. Cost-share support from non-federal funds will be provided for approximately 30% of total project costs. ***