HomeNewsResearchers at University of South Florida, develops a device to improve earthquake, tsunamis, and volcanoes forecast

Researchers at University of South Florida, develops a device to improve earthquake, tsunamis, and volcanoes forecast

Most Read

Scientists have successfully developed and tested a high-tech device that can detect the small movements and changes in the Earth’s seafloor — often a precursor to deadly natural hazards, like earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis.

The shallow water buoy was installed off Egmont Key in the Gulf of Mexico last year and has been producing data on the three-dimensional motion of the seafloor, according to the researchers from the University of South Florida (USF) in the US.

- Advertisement -

The system will be able to detect small changes in the stress and strain of the Earth’s crust, the researchers noted.

The patent-pending seafloor geodesy system is an anchored spar buoy topped by a high precision global positioning system (GPS), they said.

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, Dixon said.

While there are several techniques for seafloor monitoring currently available, that technology typically works best in the more bottomless ocean where there is less noise interference.

Shallow coastal waters, which are less than a few hundred metres in depth, are a more challenging environment but also an important one for many applications, including certain types of devastating earthquakes, the researchers said.

Offshore strain accumulation and release processes are critical for understanding megathrust earthquakes and tsunamis, they noted.

The experimental buoy rests on the sea bottom using a heavy concrete ballast and has been able to withstand several storms.

The system is capable of detecting movements as small as one to two centimetres, said Tim Dixon, Distinguished Professor at USF School of Geosciences.

“The technology has several potential applications in the offshore oil and gas industry and volcano monitoring in some places, but the big one is for improved forecasting of earthquakes and tsunamis in subduction zones,” Dixon said.

“The giant earthquakes and tsunamis in Sumatra in 2004 and in Japan in 2011 are examples of the kind of events we’d like to better understand and forecast in the future,” he said.

Dixon said the system is designed for subduction zone applications in the Pacific Ocean’s “Ring of Fire” where offshore strain accumulation and release processes are currently poorly monitored.

One example where the group hopes to deploy the new system is the shallow coastal waters of earthquake prone Central America.

Subscribe To Morning Newsletters

Sign up to receive the latest news stories, exclusive interviews, and more in your inbox.

- Advertisement -

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Editor's Pick

Krishna Mali
Krishna Mali
Founder, CEO & Group Editor of TechGraph.

Read More Stories

UK Housing Market Grinds to a Halt as Rates Bite

Britain’s once-thriving housing sector is now flatlining amid a tightening chokehold of astronomical mortgage rates. New data reveals house...

Tech Mahindra Set up Innovation Centre In Espoo Finland

India-based multinational technology company, Tech Mahindra has today inaugurated its innovation centre in Espoo, Finland. The new centre will accommodate...

Innovative Financing: Paving the Way for a More Agile Financial Ecosystem

At a time of high inflation and global rises in interest rates by Central Banks, we are facing a...

Apple’s first ever dual-sim iPhone

The Indian Apple users are in for a treat as the leading smartphone manufacturer introduces its first-ever dual SIM...

Now, US users can see what Apple has collected from their device

Apple Inc on Wednesday rolled out an online tool to users in the United States and several other countries...

How AI Is Crucial For Business Strategy Management

There is no doubt that AI has been reshaping the business strategies world over with companies realizing that artificial...