High-Frequency CTD Measurements for Accurate GPS/acoustic Sea-floor Crustal Deformation Measurement System

Abstract:

The GPS/acoustic sea-floor crustal deformation measurement system has developed as a useful tool to observe tectonic deformation especially at subduction zones. One of the factors preventing accurate GPS/acoustic sea-floor crustal deformation measurement is horizontal heterogeneity of sound speed in the ocean. It is therefore necessary to measure the gradient directly from sound speed structure. We report results of high-frequency CTD measurements using Underway CTD (UCTD) in the Kuroshio region.
We perform the UCTD measurements on May 2nd, 2015 at two stations (TCA and TOA) above the sea-floor benchmarks installed across the Nankai Trough, off the south-east of Kii Peninsula, middle Japan. The number of measurement points is six at each station along circles with a diameter of 1.8 nautical miles around the sea-floor benchmark. The stations TCA and TOA are located on the edge and the interior of the Kuroshio current, respectively, judging from difference in sea water density measured at the two stations, as well as a satellite image of sea-surface temperature distribution.
We detect a sound speed gradient of high speeds in the southern part and low speeds in the northern part at the two stations. At the TCA station, the gradient is noticeable down to 300 m in depth; the maximum difference in sound speed is +/- 5 m/s. The sound speed difference is as small as +/- 1.3 m/s at depths below 300 m, which causes seafloor benchmark positioning error as large as 1 m. At the TOA station, the gradient is extremely small down to 100 m in depth. The maximum difference in sound speed is less than +/- 0.3 m/s that is negligible small for seafloor benchmark positioning error. Clear gradient of high speed is observed to the depths; the maximum difference in sound speed is +/- 0.8-0.9 m/s, causing seafloor benchmark positioning error of several tens centimeters.
The UCTD measurement is effective tool to detect sound speed gradient. We establish a method for accurate sea-floor crustal deformation measurement using data of high-frequency CTD measurements.
Acknowledgments: This work was supported by Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (CSTI), Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (SIP), “Enhancement of societal resiliency against natural disasters” (Funding agency: JST).