Overview

Designed by Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the LC2000 system is the backbone of our constantly evolving pool of ocean-bottom instruments. The design allows the instrument to be broken down into components easily handleable by two people, allowing quick construction on deck prior to deployment.

The instruments are configured prior to deployment with the sample rate, gain and recording start time, then sealed and mounted in their chassis.

Deployment, normally performed by the ships’ crew, involves using a pelican hook to release the instrument when the ship is in the correct location.

When the instrument is due to be recovered an acoustic signal is sent to the seabed which instructs the instrument to jettison it’s anchor allowing it to float to the surface. The untreated metal or concrete anchor is left on the sea-bed to degrade naturally.

After initially starting with 18 2-channel and 10 4-channel instruments, we are undergoing a substantial expansion and anticipate having 50 ocean-bottom seismometers by the end of 2009. 18 of which will be 2-channel, the others will be 4-channel.

Instrument Type Number Available Sensor Type Maximum Depth Maximum Enduance
LC2000-2 18 Vertical L22 Geophone, HTI-90-U Hydrophone 6000m 280 days
LC2000-4 8 Gimballed 3-component L22-8 geophone, HTI-90-U Hydrophone 6000m 140 days
LC4×4 24 Gimballed 3-component L22-8 geophone, HTI-90-U Hydrophone 6000m 320 days
LC4×4-LD 10 Gimballed 3-component L22-8 geophone, Differential Pressure Gauge 6000m 320 days
LC2000-EM 14 12m Dipole with AIS Ag-AgCl sensors 6000m 60 days
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