Science Daily November 22, 2019
Techniques currently available for seafloor monitoring work best in the deeper ocean where there is less noise interference. An international team of researchers (USA – University of South Florida, Italy) has developed and tested a new high-tech shallow water buoy that can detect the small movements and changes in the Earth’s seafloor that are often a precursor to deadly natural hazards. The seafloor geodesy system is an anchored spar buoy topped by high precision GPS. The buoy’ orientation is measured using a digital compass that provides heading, pitch, and roll information — helping to capture the crucial side-to-side motion of the Earth that can be diagnostic of major tsunami-producing earthquakes. An experimental system installed in the Gulf of Mexico last year has been producing data on the three-dimensional motion of the sea floor. The technology has potential applications in the offshore oil and gas industry, volcano monitoring and forecasting earthquakes and tsunamis…read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLEÂ