Developing a Global Ocean Network of Green Telecommunication Cables Hosting Mini-Observatories Professor David Meldrum Vice Chair, JCOMM, Scottish Marine Inst Nigel Bayliff CEO, Huawei Marine Networks
Scope of this presentation 1. Why sensors are required in the deep ocean 2. Current methodology a) Buoys, gliders and drifters b) Standalone sensors 3. Dedicated cabled observatories a) Benefits of cabled sensors proven b) Geographical restrictions 4. Sensor supported repeaters the Green Repeater 2
Why are sensors required? Global Climate Change Climate Change recognized by the United Nations impacts all of humankind Ocean depths store significant thermal energy Quantification global, sustained deep ocean observations real time, continuous time series measurements 3
Why are sensors required? Tsunami Chile, 27 February 2010 550 deaths US$30 billion East Japan, 11 March 2011 15,883 deaths US$235 billion 4
Existing methods of measurement Ships and deployed instruments Seasonal Battery powered instruments Not real time
Existing methods of measurement Buoys and drifters Vandalism Storms Seasonal maintenance
Existing methods of measurement Gliders and wave-riders No fixed location Battery powered Not real time data
The Initiative The deep ocean is largely unknown. How could submarine cables be used as a real-time global network to monitor climate change and to provide tsunami warnings? A new generation of regional scientific cabled ocean observatories is emerging at a few selected sites, but there is a need and opportunity to extend observations and monitoring over much wider area of the global oceans. Submarine telecommunication cables equipped with sensors to measure key variables such as water temperature, pressure and acceleration on the ocean floor are viewed as vital to monitor climate change and to provide tsunami warnings.
The Initiative Using submarine telecommunications cables for ocean and climate monitoring and disaster warning ITU (International Telecommunication Union) with UNESCO s (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation s) IOC (Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission), and the WMO (World Meteorological Organization) Established a task force
ITU/WMO/UNESCO-IOC Joint Task Force Agreed on its Terms of Reference and was tasked, inter alia: with developing a strategy and roadmap that could lead to enabling the availability of submarine repeaters equipped with scientific sensors for climate monitoring and disaster risk reduction for tsunamis, and to analyse the potential renovation and use of out-of-service cables for this purpose. It is composed of more than 80 international experts from the science, engineering, business and law communities. Chair: Chris Barnes, Professor Emeritus, University of Victoria (Canada) Vice-Chair: David Meldrum, Research Fellow, Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) and JCOMM Observations Programme Area (UNESCO-IOC) 10
Joint Task Force Members Alcatel-Lucent AQEST Arctic Fibre Inc Axiom BT Design Bureau of Oceans, Environment and Science, U.S. Department of State Climate Associates David Ross Group ETH-Zurich European Seas Observatory NETwork (ESONET) Fiberhome Technologies Group France Telecom France Telecom Marine Fujitsu Gartner Inc. GNS Science Huawei Marine Networks CO.,LTD Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Tsunami Early Warning and Mitigation System in the North Eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean and connected Seas (ICG/NEAMTWS) Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) International Telecommunication Union (ITU) International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) Joint Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM) Libya, Ministry of Communications and Informatics Mallin Consultants Ltd. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Greece Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center NASA National Authority for Management and Regulation in Communication of Romania National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) NEC Corporation Netherlands Institute for the Law of the Sea, Utrecht University School of Law Nexans Norway AS Ocean Observations Panel for Climate (OOPC) Puertos del Estado, Spain Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) Scripps Institution of Oceanography Sea-Bird Electronics Sea Risk Solutions LLC Swiss Maritime Navigation Office (SMNO) TE SubCom Teledyne ODI / Teledyne Oil & Gas Telefónica Telefónica International Wholesale Services UN Office of Law and Sea (DOALOS) University of Hawaii University of Milano-Bicocca University of Stockholm University of Sydney University of Tokyo University of Victoria University of Washington U.S. Geological Survey Vrije Universiteit Brussels Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) WILTSHIRE & GRANNIS LLP World Meteorological Organization (WMO) World Ocean Council (WOC) Zimbabwe National Water Authority 11
Cabled systems - Japan Tohoku Cable System 5000km cable, US$500M
Cabled systems - Canada VENUS Canada Cable length 50km Cost 12 million USD NEPTUNE Canada Cable length 800km Cost 120 million USD
Cabled systems Other (typical) MACHO Cable length is 45 km. Instrument and construction cost is about 16 million USD Regional Scale Nodes of the OOI Cable length 800km Cost ~150 million USD
Benefits of regional cabled systems High limits on power consumption and data transmission Opportunity to use high frequency sensing Sensor status known Real time data History of Use of Cabled Sensors New ways of using sensor data Development of new sensors Infrastructure has proved reliable
Limitations of cabled systems Area of Coverage Good for local and regional scales Other technology required for oceanic and global scales Cost Expensive to install Annual cost to support complex instruments
Ocean and global scales what is required? Widely spaced locations okay Reduced sensor count okay Evenly spaced fixed locations preferred Ability for 40 Hz plus frequency of sensing Real time data No site visits after deployment Sensors: Pressure Temperature Ground acceleration
Data goals for ocean scale sensors Pressure Goal: Detect changes in ocean level including passage of Tsunamis Detect pressure waves in the ocean Solution ± 1mm seawater 24 bit resolution 40 Hz measurements
Data goals for ocean scale sensors Temperature Goal: Detect changes in ocean temperature Detect local effects such as internal waves, sloshing etc. Solution ± one thousandth of a degree Celsius. 1 Hz measurements
Data goals for ocean scale sensors Ground acceleration Goal: Detect ground movements, velocity and direction Solution 24 bit resolution 3 way sensors 200 Hz measurements
Proposed solution for Ocean scale Conclusions Dedicated cables too expensive Only presence in the deep ocean are the telecommunications cables Steps forward Investigate feasibility of installing sensors on cables Modify repeaters to support sensors
Sensor requirements Data Rate Temperature 0.06 kbps Pressure 1 kbps Accelerometer 15 kbps Total including overhead ~ 20kbps Power ~5W per repeater total Time Stamping 50μsec
Technology solution Solution: can only come from manufacturers Must not impact owners Independent consultants can act as go-betweens between industry and science Science goals to be adjusted as necessary to meet industry solutions Industry solutions must be imaginative to accommodate science needs
Technical feasibility Appears technically feasible at this stage More iterations required to match science goals with telecom requirements Next steps Detailed technical requirement document to be produced Continue to pursue ongoing improvements in sensors Trial deployment required to demonstrate feasibility and value of data
Science and society Mankind needs access to the deep oceans to monitor Earth for climate change and tsunamis Undersea telecommunications cables are currently deaf, dumb, and blind to their environment Integrating pressure, temperature, and acceleration sensors into new cables systems is the important, simple first step Developing a white paper to outline and present the scientific and societal need Working with the international Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) to broaden the community engagement Writing up technical requirements specification for sensors Performing ocean observing system simulations, both for climate change and tsunami warnings. 25
Science and society Climate Monitoring Pressure Ocean circulation from weeks to years to decades Ocean mass changes Temperature Sea Level rise Dynamics of ocean heat storage Tsunamis Pressure Real-time monitoring of the tsunami wave Monitoring earthquakes than generate the tsunamis Acceleration Measuring turbidite flows that can damage the cables and cause tsunamis Monitoring strong earthquake motions 26
Legal Legal issues: potentially challenging Reduced or removed if landing in supportive countries Permitting May be a positive when considering environmental impact May be a positive for public reaction
Commercial Industry pays?! Not a viable approach Industry technical involvement required Owner approval required Existing efforts Some funds available for existing parallel efforts buoys etc. Not likely to be sufficient Governments and UN bodies pay?! Not viable as a stand-alone approach
Pro: Evaluation Distributed seabed sensors across oceans have unique value Without such sensors we cannot really understand ocean processes Submarine telecommunications systems offer a platform for these sensors Supporting such sensors would be a positive gesture by system owners Con: Changes to repeaters are a serious issue Commercial and legal issues will be system specific Who pays is unresolved
Conclusion This initiative has real merit To be successful it requires: technical support from industry cooperation from owners iteration between scientists and industry initial funding for proof of concept funding model once concept is proven and costs are known Once again, science looking to industry to make ideas reality
Links & Additional Information ITU/WMO/UNESCO-IOC Joint Task Force http://itu.int/itu-t/climatechange/task-force/sc/index.html ITU-T and climate change http://www.itu.int/itu-t/climatechange The Secretariat of the ITU/WMO/UNESCO IOC Task Force is provided by ITU and can be contacted at: greenstandard@itu.int 31