SCOTS Workshop: Scientific Cabled Observatories for Time Series

1. Scientific Cabled Observatories for Time Series (SCOTS) NSF SCOTS Workshop Portsmouth, VA August 26-28, 2002 SCOTS Steering Committee: Scott Glenn (co-chair), Tommy Dickey (co-chair) Jim Bellingham, Yi Chao, Fred Duennebier, Ann Gargett, Dave Karl, Lauren Mullineax, Dave Musgrave, Clare Reimers, Don Wright, Mark Zumberge Bob Weller (ex-officio) Alex Isern, Bill Fornes, Shelby Walker Pre-Workshop Meeting in Belmont, MD Portsmouth Workshop ~ 50 Participants Subdivided into 6 science and 1 technology work groups Theme of science synergies emerged Prepared by SCOTS Steering Committee

2. Scientific Cabled Observatories for Time Series (SCOTS) Workshop Goals • Assist in planning NSF cabled observatory initiative • Define science problems best addressed with cabled approach • Describe technological capabilities and challenges • Suggest sensors, sampling strategies, array designs, and possible locations for science problems relevant to cabled approach • Identify synergistic opportunities w.r.t. science, technology, and other non-cabled observing systems (coastal, open ocean) • Provide community input for SCOTS Report Prepared by SCOTS Steering Committee

3. Scientific Cabled Observatories for Time Series (SCOTS) Scientific Cabled Observatories for Time Series (SCOTS) Report DRAFT: November 12, 2002 Based on a community workshop at the Portsmouth Renaissance Conference Center Portsmouth, VA August 26-28, 2002 Compiled by the SCOTS Steering Committee: Tommy Dickey, Co-Chair Ocean Physics Laboratory, University of California, Santa Barbara Scott M. Glenn, Co-Chair Coastal Ocean Observation Laboratory, Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University Jim Bellingham Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute Yi Chao Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institution of Technology Fred Duennebier Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Hawaii Ann Gargett Center for Coastal Physical Oceanography, Old Dominion University Dave Karl School of Ocean & Earth Science & Technology (SOEST), University of Hawaii Lauren Mullineaux Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution  Dave Musgrave School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska - Fairbanks Clare Reimers College of Oceanic & Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University Bob Weller Department of Physical Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Don Wright Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary Mark Zumberge Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California, San Diego SCOTS Report Schedule Scientific Cabled Observatories for Time Series April 2002 Co-Chairs Established May 2002Steering Committee Formed July 16-17, 2002Steering Committee Meeting – Belmont August 26-29, 2002 Open Workshop – Portsmouth September 26-29, 2002Draft Report Sections Due October 15, 2002 Draft Report Circulated to Workshop Participants October 23, 2002 Comments Due Back November 11, 2002 Edited Report Available for Public Comment, 6 Reviewers December 2, 2002 Public Comments Received December 6, 2002 Reviews Completed December 8-12, 2002 Report Available at AGU December 16, 2002 Updated Report Available to NRC Prepared by SCOTS Steering Committee

4. Scientific Cabled Observatories for Time Series (SCOTS) NSF Ocean Observatories Initiative Historical Perspective • NSF Decadal Committee • Ocean Sciences at The New Millennium • Identified 6 cross-cutting science themes • and 1 technology theme (long-term time • series) with important and promising • opportunities • NRC Committee on Seafloor Observatories • Illuminating The Hidden Planet • Identified major science problems under each theme • for which geographically distributed long-term time • series would be very useful or useful • (Seafloor observatory defined here as both cable and • mooring based) • NSF SCOTS Committee • Identify science questions under each theme that are • best addressed with cabled observatories • Science Themes • Earth Structure and Dynamics of the Ocean Lithosphere • Fluids and Life in the Oceanic Crust • Coastal Ocean Processes • Turbulent Mixing and Biophysical Interactions • Ecosystem Dynamics • Ocean, Climate and • Biogeochemical Cycling Prepared by SCOTS Steering Committee

5. Scientific Cabled Observatories for Time Series (SCOTS) • Cabled Observatory Concepts • Short cables to coastal or deep water sites (A). • Long telecommunication cables to remote sites (B). • Regional scale looped cables, with multiple measurement sites – • deep water and coastal (C). A B C A A Prepared by SCOTS Steering Committee

6. Scientific Cabled Observatories for Time Series (SCOTS) Earth Structure and Dynamics of the Ocean Lithosphere • Science Questions • 1) Deep Earth – structure of core, core mantle boundary, mantle convection • 2) Regional Dynamics & Neo-Tectonics – variability of stresses and deformations across plate boundaries, variability of seismic activity • 3) Volcanic Processes – nature, extent, variability of submarine vulcanism • Why Cabled Observatories • 1) Lack of paths through the depth Earth to remote locations • 2) Local long-term arrays to detect small earthquakes along plate boundaries • 3) Local long-term arrays to monitor submarine vulcanism around hot spots Prepared by SCOTS Steering Committee

7. Scientific Cabled Observatories for Time Series (SCOTS) Fluids and Life in the Oceanic Crust • Science Questions • Cross-cutting questions • 1) What drives change in the subsurface • biosphere? • 2) Does sub-seafloor biological activity affect • pore fluid chemistry, circulation, or fluxes? • 3) What is the rate of biomass production by • chemosynthetic processes? • Specific environments for detailed science • questions • 1) Ridge/Hydrothermal Systems • 2) Continental Margins • 3) Coastal Zones • Why Cabled Observatories • 1) Long-term and reliable environmental and • seimological time series • 2) Responsive event sampling • 3) Concentrate on a small number of • geographically diverse sites Prepared by SCOTS Steering Committee

8. Scientific Cabled Observatories for Time Series (SCOTS) A Cabled Observatories for Study of Coastal Ocean Processes • Science Questions • Cross-cutting Issues for Coastal Observatories • 1) Synoptic scale interactions between coastal • ocean and atmosphere during storms and • longer time scales • 2) Input of river-supplied buoyancy, nutrients, • sediments and toxins on physics, chemistry, • biology, and geology of the coastal ocean. • Cabled Observatory Component - • Water column mixing and vertical fluxes, benthic processes, air-sea interaction, decadal affects of climate change, across-shelf fluxes and flux gradients, dynamics of plumes, wave-current dynamics in heterogeneous environments • Why Cabled Observatories • 1) Threats to instrumentation the need for real- • time data • 2) Turbulence , nutrients, suspended sediment, • optical and acoustic imagery require large data • rates • 3) Multiple sensors require large power supplies B Prepared by SCOTS Steering Committee

9. Scientific Cabled Observatories for Time Series (SCOTS) Turbulent Mixing and Biophysical Interactions Turbulent Mixing and Phytoplankton Community Structure • Science Questions • Phytoplankton community structure • Interaction of turbulent motion, • stratification light fields, nutrient supplies • Formatting dissolution and export of marine snow • How does upper-ocean turbulence effect • marine snow? • Benthic community structure • How does turbulent bottom boundary layer structure influence benthic communities? • Why Cabled Observatories • 1) High power/high data rates – dissipating scale • microsensors, multifrequency acoustics, • video/still photography • 2) Extended time presence – cross correlation • analysis of multiple realizations • 3) Experience at cabled sites translated to non- • cabled sites Prepared by SCOTS Steering Committee

10. Scientific Cabled Observatories for Time Series (SCOTS) Ecosystem Dynamics • Scientific Questions • 1) Pelagic response to upper ocean variation (deep basin) • 2) Benthic or bentho-pelagic response to upper • ocean variation (deep-sea/productive shelf) • 3) Benthic and pelagic response to seafloor • hydrothermal activity (deep hydrothermal • vent and marginal cold-seep) • 4) Studies of human effects – observational and • manipulative • Why Cabled Observatories • 1) Many different species require a wide variety of sampling techniques –video, acoustics, water and particle samples • 2) Multiple co-located sensors – high power, • high bandwidth, flexible sampling • 3) Long-term continuous time series required • at multiple sites spanning coastal to deep sea Prepared by SCOTS Steering Committee

11. Scientific Cabled Observatories for Time Series (SCOTS) Ocean and Climate /Biogeochemical Cycling • Scientific Questions • 1) Describe, understand, predict the impact of • climate change & /variability (ENSO, PDO, • NAO) on small-scale regional processes. • 2) Quantify the role of regional carbon cycling in • the global carbon budget. • 3) Biogeochemical cycling – effect of events • within long-time series. • Why Cabled Observatories • 1) Requires long-term spatial measurements • Phased implementation – aided by OSSE’s. • Open ocean and coastal. • 2) New data to improve small-scale models of • regional processes • 3) Bandwidth & power – high frequency sampling • of high spectral resolution optics, video, multi- • wavelength acoustics, and power for AUVs Prepared by SCOTS Steering Committee

12. Scientific Cabled Observatories for Time Series (SCOTS) Technology to Support Regional Scale Cabled Observatories Present Systems- Short systems (<100km) Telecommunication cables Next Generation Cables Several thousand kilometers Gigabit Ethernet 100 kW shore-power 10 kW per node Max node spacing <100 km Cable Infrastructure Cable Shore Station Branching Units Scientific Nodes Other elements Data management and archiving Community Sensors Support vessels & ROVs AUVs & Docking facilities Governance Issues Prepared by SCOTS Steering Committee

13. Scientific Cabled Observatories for Time Series (SCOTS) • Recommendations • Community Participation: Continue to encourage broad community input to the SCOTS report. • Workshop Consensus: Encourage regional cabled observatory development in all three domains (coastal, plate and open ocean). • Retired Telecommunications Cables: Pursue means to relocate telecommunications cables to fill in the deep Earth imaging array. • Combined Use for Coastal & Deepwater: Pursue technologies for deploying coastal scientific nodes along cables running to deepwater observatories. • Science Platforms: Numerous platform technology development activities were recommended (e.g, AUV docking ports). • Sensor and System Deployments: Protocols for deploying standard, project-specific and experimental sensors and their data management are required. • Sensor and System Development: A tremendous need to accelerate new autonomous sensor and system development was identified. • Installation/Maintenance ROVs: Are sufficient numbers with the required capabilities available? • Complimentary Observation Systems: Efforts to integrate future cabled observatories with other observing programs are essential. • Modeling: A modeling component is important in the design phase as well as the operational phase. • Funding: A major concern was the level of funding and how it will impact other science programs. • Governance: Participation and oversight by scientists is essential. Prepared by SCOTS Steering Committee