The Central Weather Bureau of Taiwan will now gain seismic and environmental observations in the area with the help of a new submarine-cable based integrated ocean observation system to be deployed by 2011 by Japan’s NEC Corp.

The system will include ocean bottom seismograph and pressure gauge instruments to be deployed 1000 to 2000 meters deep in the ocean. The information will be delivered over a submarine optical fiber cable network.

The network will span from Toucheng in eastern Taiwan through to 45 kms into the ocean. The cable will be extended up to 150 kms with two more nodes to be added and additional devices to be added such as APCD (*1) (Acoustic Doppler Current Profile), underwater camera, lights and others. 

The end of the cable will be equipped with a node featuring a broadband seismograph, acceleration seismograph, tsunami pressure gauge, conductivity temperature and depth-sensor and underwater microphone.