Francesco Gasparoni

GEOSTAR: a GEophysical and Oceanographic STation for Abyssal Research

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the different aspects of GEophysical and Oceanographic STation for Abyssal Research (GEOSTAR), which is aimed at the realization of an observatory able to perform a long-term scientific mission in deep waters down to 4000 meters. GEOSTAR represents the first European reply to the challenges launched by the international scientific and technological community addressed to the realization of a worldwide network of benthic multidisciplinary permanent observatories. The Long-term Ocean Monitoring Station (LOMOS) concept for deployment and recovery, defined in a MAST 2 project, DESIBEL, and the feasibility study for Abyssal BEnthic Laboratory (ABEL), promoted by E.U., formed the basis of the design of GEOSTAR. The general architecture of GEOSTAR demonstrated its validity during the Adriatic Sea mission and consequently no substantial modification to the concept is foreseen. Improvements on some parts of the two main systems—the bottom station (BS) and mobile docker (MD)— are, however, projected in a view of the deep sea mission requirements.

NEMO-SN1 Abyssal Cabled Observatory in the Western Ionian Sea

The NEutrino Mediterranean Observatory-Submarine Network 1 (NEMO-SN1) seafloor observatory is located in the central Mediterranean Sea, Western Ionian Sea, off Eastern Sicily (Southern Italy) at 2100-m water depth, 25 km from the harbor of the city of Catania. It is a prototype of a cabled deep-sea multiparameter observatory and the first one operating with real-time data transmission in Europe since 2005. NEMO-SN1 is also the first-established node of the European Multidisciplinary Seafloor Observatory (EMSO), one of the incoming European large-scale research infrastructures included in the Roadmap of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) since 2006. EMSO will specifically address long-term monitoring of environmental processes related to marine ecosystems, climate change, and geohazards. NEMO-SN1 has been deployed and developed over the last decade thanks to Italian funding and to the European Commission (EC) project European Seas Observatory NETwork-Network of Excellence (ESONET-NoE, 2007-2011) that funded the Listening to the Deep Ocean-Demonstration Mission (LIDO-DM) and a technological interoperability test (http://www.esonet-emso.org). NEMO-SN1 is performing geophysical and environmental long-term monitoring by acquiring seismological, geomagnetic, gravimetric, accelerometric, physico-oceanographic, hydroacoustic, and bioacoustic measurements. Scientific objectives include studying seismic signals, tsunami generation and warnings, its hydroacoustic precursors, and ambient noise characterization in terms of marine mammal sounds, environmental and anthropogenic sources. NEMO-SN1 is also an important test site for the construction of the Kilometre-Cube Underwater Neutrino Telescope (KM3NeT), another large-scale research infrastructure included in the ESFRI Roadmap based on a large volume neutrino telescope. The description of the observatory and its most recent implementations is presented. On June 9, 2012, NEMO-SN1 was successfully deployed and is working in real time.

European Seafloor Observatory Offers New Possibilities For Deep Sea Study

The Geophysical and Oceanographic Station for Abyssal Research (GEOSTAR), an autonomous seafloor observatory that collects measurements benefiting a number of disciplines during missions up to 1 year long, will begin the second phase of its first mission in 2000. The 6–8 month investigation will take place at a depth of 3400 m in the southern Tyrrhenian basin of the central Mediterranean. GEOSTAR was funded by the European Community (EC) for

Single-frame multiparameter platforms for seafloor geophysical and environmental observations: projects and missions from GEOSTAR to ORION

2.4 million (U.S. dollars) in 1995 as part of the Marine Science and Technology programme (MAST). The innovative deployment and recovery procedure GEOSTAR uses was derived from the “two-module” concept successfully applied by NASA in the Apollo and space shuttle missions, where one module performs tasks for the other, including deployment, switching on and off, performing checks, and recovery. The observatory communication system, which takes advantage of satellite telemetry, and the simultaneous acquisition of a set of various measurements with a unique time reference make GEOSTAR the first fundamental element of a multiparameter ocean network.

GEOSTAR. Development and test of an innovative benthic station for long-term investigations at abyssal depths

The paper presents an overview of recent seafloor long-term single-frame multiparameter platform developed in the framework of the European Commission and Italian projects starting from the GEOSTAR prototype. The main features of the different systems are described as well as the sea missions that led to their validation. The ORION seafloor observatory network recently developed, based on the GEOSTAR-type platforms and engaged in a deep-sea mission at 3300 m w.d. in the Mediterranean Sea, is also described

GEOSTAR-class observatories 1995–2012: A technical overview

GEOSTAR is an European project with Italian coordination, funded by the European Union in the framework of the Marine Science and Technology Programme (MAST-III). The aim of the project is the development of the first prototype of an innovative deep sea benthic observatory capable of carrying out long-term geophysical and oceanographic observations at abyssal depths (4000 m). Conceived as a node of existing and future environmental monitoring networks (like the Italian seismic network), the observatory is based on an innovative benthic station, capable of supporting the operation of a multi-disciplinary scientific payload dedicated to geophysical, geochemical and oceanographic observation. A detailed description of the benthic station and its components is given.

GEOSTAR benthic observatory: Technological results

From the scientific point of view, the deepwater environment represents the ultimate frontier for Earth observation and understanding fundamental processes (solid earth studies, as well as oceanographic, climatic and environmental investigations) (Kopf et al., 2012).

A fleet of multiparameter observatories for geophysical and environmental monitoring at seafloor

GEOSTAR (GEophysical and Oceanographic STation for Abyssal Research) is a project funded by European Commission, MAST III. The aim of the project was the development of the first prototype of an innovative deep‐sea benthic observatory capable of carrying out long‐term scientific observations at abyssal depths (up to −4000 m). The prototype has been realized and tested successfully in Adriatic Sea in late summer 1998. GEOSTAR is made up of two main subsystems: Bottom Station and Mobile Docker. The Bottom Station includes the acquisition and power systems, all the scientific sensors and hosts the Communications. The Mobile Docker is a dedicated tool for surface‐assisted deployment and recovery. GEOSTAR is characterized by a lightweight and modular frame, autonomous mission control capabilities, and multiple possibilities of interfacement with external devices. The Bottom Station is presently equipped with geophysical, geochemical, and oceanographic instruments (a triaxial seismometer, vectorial and scalar m...