Güralp Ocean Bottom Monitoring Solutions: Autonomous Nodes, Cabled Observatories and SMART Cables

Autonomous free-fall ocean-bottom seismometers (OBS) offer flexible deployment and redeployment options. The Güralp Aquarius operates at any orientation without a gimbal and can wirelessly transmit state-of-health (SOH) and seismic data to the surface via an integrated acoustic modem. This enables monitoring and partial real-time data transmission without offshore cabling, reducing logistical complexity while maintaining data accessibility. These capabilities make Aquarius well suited to OBS pool operations, including the National Facility for Seismic Imaging in Canada, one of the most recent large-scale OBS pools to become operational worldwide. In contrast, cabled observatory systems provide continuous, high-resolution real-time data via direct connections to onshore infrastructure. The Güralp Orcus is a compact underwater seismic station integrating a broadband seismometer and strong-motion accelerometer in a single package. The slimline Güralp Maris offers additional flexibility, using the same omnidirectional sensor as Aquarius and supporting deployment on the seabed or within narrow-diameter subsea boreholes. Both systems are deployed globally within multidisciplinary observatories, including the Neptune array operated by Ocean Networks Canada.

SMART Cables represent a promising pathway to expanding cabled ocean observatory networks at significantly reduced cost. By combining seismology, oceanography, and telecommunications within a single system, large-scale monitoring networks can be developed through shared logistics and funding across industries. Güralp has demonstrated this approach through a successful wet demonstration in the Ionian Sea, conducted in collaboration with the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV), representing the first practical deployment of this technology. Future projects will leverage low-power, low-volume sensor and data acquisition designs to support both commercial SMART cable initiatives and science-driven observatories.