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Instrument Platforms
Most instruments in our observatory are either affixed to platforms or connected them by extension cable. Using platforms, we can keep instruments off the seafloor and out of the sediment. Platforms also greatly simplify instrument deployment and recovery, as they are transported between ship and seafloor as single units.
During our Summer 2009 installation cruises, we installed 9 fixed and 2 mobile instrument platforms. (The mobile platforms are our Vertical Profiler System and our Hydrates Crawler.)
Barkley Upper Slope insturment platform on the seafloor. (Click to enlarge.)
Junction Boxes
The heart of each platform is its junction box, which provides power and communications to the instruments. Incoming 400V DC power can be passed through to secondary instrument platforms or it can be converted to lower voltages (15V, 24V or 48V) required by many instruments. Data streams from the instruments are handled by the junction boxes using either serial or ethernet protocols.
Close-up view of the ODP 1027 junction box within its platform. (Click to enlarge.)
Satellite Instruments
Not all instruments can be placed on a platform, however. Some instruments, like our broadband seismometers, need to be buried in the seafloor sediment. Others, like our bottom pressure recorders and hydrophones, need to sit on the seafloor, a distance away from the platform. All such instruments are connected to the instrument platforms via extension cables, which can be connected and disconnected from the platform by a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) at the seafloor. This approach gives our observatory a modular design, allowing us to attach more instruments later, or detatch the connector cables and recover the platforms for servicing.
To learn more about our individual instrument platforms and their satellite instruments, click the links at right.
The ODP 1027 broadband seismometer during installation. (Click to enlarge.)
Installed Platforms
Barkley Canyon/Slope
Barkley Benthic Pod 2Barkley Benthic Pod 3
Barkley Benthic Pod 4
Barkley Canyon Axis (Pod 1)
Barkley Hydrates
Barkley Upper Slope
POGO Vertical Profiler System
Wally I
Endeavour
Main Endeavour Vent FieldNE Regional Circulation Mooring
NW Regional Circulation Mooring
North RCM Platform
Tempo-Mini
Folger Passage
Folger DeepFolger Pinnacle
ODP 889
ODP 889 Instrument PlatformODP 889 Seismometer Auxiliary Platform
ODP 1027
ODP 1027 Instrument PlatformODP 1027 Seismometer Auxiliary Platform
Recovered
Not currently installed.
Wally II
