The ocean is key to understanding societal threats including climate change, sea level rise, ocean warming, tsunamis, and earthquakes. Because the ocean is difficult and costly to monitor, we lack fundamental data needed to adequately model, understand, and address these threats. One solution is to integrate sensors into future undersea telecommunications cables. This is the mission of the SMART subsea cables initiative (Science Monitoring And Reliable Telecommunications). SMART sensors would "piggyback" on the power and communications infrastructure of a million kilometers of undersea fiber optic cable and thousands of repeaters, creating the potential for seafloor-based global ocean observing at a modest incremental cost. Initial sensors would measure temperature, pressure, and seismic acceleration. The resulting data would address two critical scientific and societal issues: the long-term need for sustained climate-quality data from the under-sampled ocean (e.g., deep ocean temperature, sea level, and circulation), and the near-term need for improvements to global tsunami warning networks. A Joint Task Force (JTF) led by three UN agencies (ITU/WMO/UNESCO-IOC) is working to bring this initiative to fruition. This paper explores the ocean science and early warning improvements available from SMART cable data, and the societal, technological, and financial elements of realizing such a global network. Simulations show that deep ocean temperature and pressure measurements can improve estimates of ocean circulation and heat content, and cable-based pressure and seismic-acceleration sensors can improve tsunami warning times and earthquake parameters. The technology of integrating these sensors into fiber optic cables is discussed, addressing sea and land-based elements plus delivery of real-time open data products to end users. The science and business case for SMART cables is evaluated. SMART cables have been endorsed by major ocean science organizations, and JTF is working with cable suppliers and sponsors, multilateral development banks and end users to incorporate SMART capabilities into future cable projects. By investing now, we can build up a global ocean network of long-lived SMART cable sensors, creating a transformative addition to the Global Ocean Observing System.
1.Univ Hawaii Manoa, Ocean & Resources Engn, Sch Ocean & Earth Sci & Technol, Honolulu, HI 96822 USA 2.Univ Michigan, Dept Earth & Environm Sci, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA 3.Lab Etud Geophys & Oceanog Spatiales LEGOS, Toulouse, France 4.Univ Victoria, Sch Earth & Ocean Sci, Victoria, BC, Canada 5.SIN Medida Ltd, Newbury, Berks, England 6.NOAA, Pacific Tsunami Warning Ctr, Natl Weather Serv, Honolulu, HI USA 7.Univ Hawaii Manoa, Hawaii Inst Geophys & Planetol, Sch Ocean & Earth Sci & Technol, Honolulu, HI 96822 USA 8.Alcatel Submarine Networks, Hong Kong, Peoples R China 9.Univ Miami, Rosenstiel Sch Marine & Atmospher Sci, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149 USA 10.NOAA, Pacific Marine Environm Lab, 7600 Sand Point Way Ne, Seattle, WA 98115 USA 11.CALTECH, Jet Prop Lab, Pasadena, CA USA 12.Ocean Specialists Inc, Stuart, FL USA 13.Univ Hawaii Manoa, Dept Oceanog, Joint Inst Marine & Atmospher Res, Sch Ocean & Earth Sci & Technol, Honolulu, HI 96822 USA 14.Norwegian Meteorol Inst, Dev Ctr Weather Forecasting, Oslo, Norway 15.DRG Undersea Consulting Inc, Morristown, NJ USA 16.GHD Consulting, London, England 17.Los Alamos Natl Lab, Los Alamos, NM USA 18.United Nat, Int Telecommun Union, Geneva, Switzerland 19.German Res Ctr Geosci GFZ, Helmholtz Ctr Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany 20.Free Univ Berlin, Berlin, Germany 21.Thomas Strategies, Menlo Pk, CA USA 22.Univ Hawaii Manoa, Sea Level Ctr, Honolulu, HI 96822 USA
Recommended Citation:
Howe, Bruce M.,Arbic, Brian K.,Aucan, Jerome,et al. SMART Cables for Observing the Global Ocean: Science and Implementation[J]. FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE,2019-01-01,6