Kalistani Major History

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Republic joins Dolgavan work on Seismic Sensor Net
Goal is to study deep ocean Earthquakes and techtonic activity in Northern Anantonese Ocean
Anantonese Ocean North of Port Swedes, Vrassa
July 7, 4898


Scientists begin laying Seismic Monitor Net in Anantonese Ocean

Leading geophysicists, oceanographers and vulcanologists from across the Republic have begun work with counterparts in Dolgava to build a way to monitor and understand, and perhaps someday predict earthquakes in the Northern Anantonese. Working with Partners from the University of Aikums and other Dolgavan centers of Education, the Kalistani team, led by Dr. Jill Bernard from Kaliburg Polytechnic University announced that seismic monitoring technology is being placed in the Northern Anantonese.

"The Joint Project goes under the name The Anantonese Seismic Project (ASP) here in the Republic," said Bernard, " and it is aimed primarily at providing us data about the movement of the sea floor, which causes earthquakes, like the one which demolished major parts of Kaliburg less than 7 years ago, and the resulting Tsunami which was responsible for hundreds of more deaths in Dolgava hundreds of miles away. That one seismic event was a disaster of monumental proportions, for both of our nations, and while this project would not necessarily assist in detecting a quake like that one, it can help us understand movements in Terra's crust which could lead to stress along other fault lines."

The seismic network, consisting of more than 400 pressure sensors and sonar buoys, is being built by a joint project between both countries. "Yes, the Dogavans approached us and asked if we would like to participate in building a seismic sensor network, to give us early warning," said Bernard. "Their team is providing executive leadership in the project, while our engineers and cartographers are hard at work charting the deepsea fault-lines and placing the equipment." Both groups will be responsible for monitoring the motion of the sea floor, noting and informing their counterparts of any anomalies which might be a sign that either the Anantonese or Keris Plates are moving against the Dovani Plate or one another.

"Data like this, which can be discerned in micrometers of movement, will let us know not only which fault lines are active and at what locations," said Bernard "but will also give us an idea of building stresses further down the fault line which will increase the probability of a seismic event." The ASP also includes sonar buoys which sit several meters below the surface and listen for rumbling in areas which are not covered by the seismic buoys. "So far we've heard some whales," said Bernard. "But the hydrophones are sensitive enough to pick up lower frequencies associated with the movement of Terran Crust over many many miles, and transmit that back. With triangulation, we can pinpoint the precise location of any seismic activity at sea, so long as we can hear it."

The sonar buoys and seismic monitors do not posses any defensive capabilities. "No, we couldn't hear ships," said Bernard. "Not only would that throw a lot of, forgive the pun, noise into our data, but the frequencies that ship engines create would not be detectable by equipment like this designed to hear rumbling, rather than whining." The seismic monitors and sonar bouys are sensitive enough, however to pick up explosions at sea. "A deepsea explosion, while it would sound different than an earthquake, would still produce anomalous readings against a background of standard noise. It would be pretty obvious if something blew up within range of the Sonar bouys, and there is a good chance that the waves would travel through the subsurface of the sea and set off the seismic monitors too."

Brenard was hopeful for the future of this project. "We will, within a couple years, be emplacing a series of navigational buoys in the Ocean that will also serve as tsunami indicators. Of course the Anantonese frequently produces massive swells, especially during the winter months, but I believe the Dolgavans especially are trained to spot the difference between large waves and tidal waves. There is a noticeable difference, even at sea, where the swell is almost imperceptible to the naked eye. But detection has to do with lack of pitch of the buoy as a wave passes beneath it. In the choppy seas, the buoy is bouncing all over the place while a tidal wave is a much more gentle rise and fall over a longer period of time. If the scientists with the ASP can see those and track those, they can provide warnings to the coastlines which will be affected and save lives."

The budget for the ASP is K56.2 million over ten years, and Dolgava has shown interest in inviting other nations to contribute to the important work at sea. Bernard, who took on the role of Project Manager in Kalistan is expected to stay with the program for at least 5 years, and is already employing graduate students to crunch data and monitor equipment. "This is a perfect opportunity for our students to not only get hands on experience in the field but also to contribute to the health and safety of the Nations bordering the Anantonese Ocean."