Marine Gravimeters for AGOR Class Vessels
Abstract
Information acquired using shipboard marine gravimeters continues to be an important dataset for solving 21st century earth and ocean science problems as well as assisting our nation#s strategic needs. While satellite#derived gravity provides important insights on global-scale earth/ocean research topics, the accuracy and resolution of shipboard gravity data possess superior resolution in both spatial wavelengths and resolved gravity measurement, which are critical to new science discoveries, technology developments, and simply, mapping in and of the oceans and ocean floor. While there are applications where satellite data may be sufficient, detailed studies of individual seafloor features will continue to require shipboard gravity data collected by high-resolution marine gravimeters in order to map the gravity field. Potential Fields Pool Equipment (PFPE) Facility operated under its Shipboard Scientific Services Group (SSSG) of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) has played a central role to assist operating marine gravimetersand ensure data acquisition on academic research (ARF) fleet, including AGOR class vessels over last 20+ years. PFPE emphasizes that all the underway marine gravity data have been archived at publicly accessible database, Rolling Deck to Repository (R2R, NationalScience Foundation-funded program). Given the operation life expectancy of current marine gravimeters on ARF is quickly approaching, we recognize that proposing and executing a current vintage gravimeters# life cycle replacement plan is central to the future of marine gravity capability in US oceanographic community funded by both National Science Foundation and Office of Naval Research. We, PFPE, hereby request the purchase of one Dynamic Gravity Systems (DGS) AT1M marine gravimeter for operating marine gravimeters onboard an AGOR class academic research (ARF) vessels. PFPE has in-depth assessment of modern marine gravimeters over the last 3 years followed by the acquisition/performance test of a DGS AT1M marine gravimeter system during the past 18 months. PFPE has established confidence in the DGS meter and data quality, making this an excellent option for the next generation marine gravimeter to replace current BGM3 systems. The proposed DGS AT1M marine gravimeter will enhance the quality of research and research-related education currently funded by the DoD. Providing excellent gravity data acquisition systems and the high-resolution data produced by the DGS AT1M gravimeter is an essential component of academic geophysical training for US undergraduate and graduate students. Shipboard gravity data encompass information where the underlying theory, processing tools, and methods of inversion, modeling, and interpretation are relatively simple to learn. Hence, marine gravity data provide an avenue for real-world data acquisition, processing and analysis for young researchers, especially graduate students, to use and produce robust results. The proposed DgS AT1M marine gravimeter together with PFPE#s capability will contribute to research and research-related education currently proposed to/funded by the DoD, including exchanging knowledge on the meter operations, data QA/QC, and data archival effort. The new DGS AT1M will be installed on one other AGOR class ARF vessel, which has been funded by Office of Naval Research and National Science Foundation. We expect to operate this new meter more than 20 years into the future years.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- May 15, 2023
- Source ID
- N000142312475
Entities
People
- Masako Tominaga
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution