Instrumentation

Designed by Scripps Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, 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.

The pressure vessels and all accessories are capable of withstanding depths up to 6,000m.

The LC2000 data-logger can be used either for seismic or electromagnetic acquisition, recording up to 16 channels at the lower sampling rates. Normally it would record 2 to 6 channels (combined seismic and EM) at between 125 and 500 Hz.

We are now working on the next generation: the LC4×4. This instrument is housed in the same pressure vessels and chassis, but is far more compact allowing us to use many more battery packs. It records onto compact flash cards allowing a maximum 192Gb or about 35 days at the maximum sampling rate of 4kHz, to their maximum duration of 320 days at 250Hz.

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.

2-Channel Instrument

E-Field Instrument

4-Channel Instrument