Marine Geophysics probes how the earth works deep below its oceans and interacts with them. This theme is concerned with the application of gravity, magnetic, heat flow, and general seismic methods and imaging techniques to study the structure of the earth beneath the oceans across a broad range of scales and resolution wavelengths. It is intimately associated with the concepts and problems of seafloor spreading, continental drift, and plate tectonics, which are in turn are tied to sedimentary basin-scale problems and resource exploration. A specific research aim is to understand the processes that forged the development of the North Atlantic lithosphere west of and including Ireland. In a more global context, relationships to the continental margins and sedimentary basins of North America are also investigated. This aspect is crucial in understanding the generation and accumulation of hydrocarbon reserves on both the Irish and Canadian continental margins. The research also relates to the history of ocean circulation patterns and climate change, which is preserved in sediments across the North Atlantic, interactions between the Earths hydrosphere and lithosphere and between geological and biological systems. It contributes to enabling the sustainable use of seafloor resources into the future.
Ongoing research in marine geophysics comprise the following:
Insitu Marine Laboratory for Geosystems Research (iMARL)
iMARL the “Insitu Marine Laboratory for Geosystems Research” is a network of various types of ocean floor located sensors, hosted by the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS). It comprises broadband Ocean Bottom Seismographs (OBS), broadband acoustic sensors, and sensors for measuring absolute water pressure & temperature at the ocean floor. A system capable of detecting tsunamis also forms part of the infrastructure. The sensor pool is largely mobile and can, in principle, be deployed around the world. However the current focus is on the NE Atlantic, offshore Ireland. One instrument will be fixed and will ultimately become a real-time sensing offshore element of the Irish National Seismic Network (www.insn.ie)
Strapped to sea-bed landers and deployed on the sea floor iMARL will allow for the detection of offshore earthquakes and offshore storms, as well as noise in the ocean and biologically generated acoustic signals (e.g. from cetaceans). Impacts from this equipment will include: natural resources quantification, natural hazard estimation, environmental and baseline climate related insitu ocean monitoring and the monitoring of marine noise pollution.
Through an award to the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) the iMARL infrastructure is funded by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) with support from the Geological Survey, Ireland.
Microseism generation in the North-East Atlantic
In January 2016, 10 Broad Band Ocean Bottom Seismographs (OBSs) units were deployed across the shelf offshore Donegal and out into the Rockall Trough. The main goal of the survey is to investigate the generation mechanism as well as spatial and temporal distributions of dominant microseism source regions in NE Atlantic. Compared to earthquakes, microseisms represent background seismic noise generated by ocean wave pressure fluctuations on the sea floor which produce low frequency seismic waves. For more details on this project click here (insert link).
Location map of the OBS stations and seafloor bathymetry.
Integrated geophysical and geological study of the Porcupine Basin
DIAS Geophysics continues its research on the Porcupine Basin by integrating wide-angle seismic data, ocean bottom seismometer data along with terrestrial based seismic stations to quantify variations in crustal geometry and seismic properties (for inferring petrological affinity of the rocks) along the basin axis and towards mainland Ireland with the aim of better understanding its geological evolution. For more information on this research click here (insert link)
Bathymetry map of the Porcupine Basin depicting the location of WAS lines of the project (red lines), as well as the location of ocean bottom seismometers (yellow circles) and land stations (red triangles) used to record the data.
Ocean and Tidal Modelling
Oceans play an important role in the Earth system. At DIAS Geophysics, ongoing research focuses on wind and buoyancy driven circulations as well as tidally driven circulations within our oceans. Collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) Swarm satellite mission is investigating the magnetic signatures of the ocean circulation systems. The motivation is that the ocean-induced magnetic field may provide a greater understanding of ocean circulations. For more information about these research areas click here. (insert link)
A snapshot of the ocean surface elevations (in metres) generated by the tidal force.
WAVEOBS
Ocean waves generate continuous low amplitude seismic signals, known as microseisms, that are recorded on seismometers globally. The WAVEOBS project was established with three primary goals; to get a better fundamental understanding of microseism sources; to investigate the use of ocean generated microseisms (OGM) as real time ocean wave height data; and to investigate their use as a climate proxy. Seismic arrays established in Ireland under the WAVEOBS project allow the monitoring and mapping of local microseism generation areas near Ireland. For more information on this project click here. (insert link)
Source locations of microseisms off the west coast of Ireland
Earthquakes were very much concentrated on the intra-caldera shallow trapdoor fault system. Through the inflation-deflation syscle, the 'sinuous ridge' within the caldera grew by 1.5 m relative to the caldera floor Retweeted by
DIAS Geophysics
A pot of lava at the end of the rainbow? A #rainbow forms over Halema‘uma‘u crater following an afternoon rain shower on February 22. #Rainbows are often observed over #Halemaumau, as mist and rain move across the Kīlauea #caldera. #Kilauea2021Retweeted by
DIAS Geophysics
Dr Melissa A Pfeffer & Dr Sara Barsotti from IMO carried out gas measurements in Reykjanes. Despite the ongoing seismic swarm for the last 24 hrs, no increase of gases was detected. Another field campaign is being prepared & the area is under strong surveillance. #EUROVOLCRetweeted by
DIAS Geophysics
Grand day for a master class from Florian Le Pape on the @dias_geophysics ocean bottom seismometers.
We'll be deploying these as part of the @iCRAGcentre survey led by Andy Trafford & Shane Donohoe @ucddublin to develop a fibre-optic approach for offshore site investigation Retweeted by
DIAS Geophysics
An example of selected schools for @AtSeismo are inviting students from nearby schools to share earthquake-related knowledge, thanks to high-motivated students and teachers. Good to see knowledge is transferring into the community.
@SubediShiba1seismoschoolnp.orgRetweeted by
DIAS Geophysics
Earthquake swarm began this morning close to Fagradalsfjall. An M5.7 earthq. occurred at 10:05 many aftershocks followed. Info will be updated when activity has been reviewed further. Activity is within the Reykjanes peninsula. Other locations of large earthquakes are unreliable. Retweeted by
DIAS Geophysics
A seismic swarm is shaking the Reykjanes peninsula, the volcano-tectonic episode close to Grindavík is still ongoing. Several earthquakes of ~M5 have taken place for the past hour. The 10:05 earthquake has been calculated Mw5.65. en.vedur.is/earthquakes-an…Retweeted by
DIAS Geophysics
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Marine Geophysics
Marine Geophysics probes how the earth works deep below its oceans and interacts with them. This theme is concerned with the application of gravity, magnetic, heat flow, and general seismic methods and imaging techniques to study the structure of the earth beneath the oceans across a broad range of scales and resolution wavelengths. It is intimately associated with the concepts and problems of seafloor spreading, continental drift, and plate tectonics, which are in turn are tied to sedimentary basin-scale problems and resource exploration. A specific research aim is to understand the processes that forged the development of the North Atlantic lithosphere west of and including Ireland. In a more global context, relationships to the continental margins and sedimentary basins of North America are also investigated. This aspect is crucial in understanding the generation and accumulation of hydrocarbon reserves on both the Irish and Canadian continental margins. The research also relates to the history of ocean circulation patterns and climate change, which is preserved in sediments across the North Atlantic, interactions between the Earths hydrosphere and lithosphere and between geological and biological systems. It contributes to enabling the sustainable use of seafloor resources into the future.
Ongoing research in marine geophysics comprise the following:
Insitu Marine Laboratory for Geosystems Research (iMARL)
iMARL the “Insitu Marine Laboratory for Geosystems Research” is a network of various types of ocean floor located sensors, hosted by the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS). It comprises broadband Ocean Bottom Seismographs (OBS), broadband acoustic sensors, and sensors for measuring absolute water pressure & temperature at the ocean floor. A system capable of detecting tsunamis also forms part of the infrastructure. The sensor pool is largely mobile and can, in principle, be deployed around the world. However the current focus is on the NE Atlantic, offshore Ireland. One instrument will be fixed and will ultimately become a real-time sensing offshore element of the Irish National Seismic Network (www.insn.ie)
Strapped to sea-bed landers and deployed on the sea floor iMARL will allow for the detection of offshore earthquakes and offshore storms, as well as noise in the ocean and biologically generated acoustic signals (e.g. from cetaceans). Impacts from this equipment will include: natural resources quantification, natural hazard estimation, environmental and baseline climate related insitu ocean monitoring and the monitoring of marine noise pollution.
Through an award to the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) the iMARL infrastructure is funded by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) with support from the Geological Survey, Ireland.
Microseism generation in the North-East Atlantic
In January 2016, 10 Broad Band Ocean Bottom Seismographs (OBSs) units were deployed across the shelf offshore Donegal and out into the Rockall Trough. The main goal of the survey is to investigate the generation mechanism as well as spatial and temporal distributions of dominant microseism source regions in NE Atlantic. Compared to earthquakes, microseisms represent background seismic noise generated by ocean wave pressure fluctuations on the sea floor which produce low frequency seismic waves. For more details on this project click here (insert link).
Location map of the OBS stations and seafloor bathymetry.
Integrated geophysical and geological study of the Porcupine Basin
DIAS Geophysics continues its research on the Porcupine Basin by integrating wide-angle seismic data, ocean bottom seismometer data along with terrestrial based seismic stations to quantify variations in crustal geometry and seismic properties (for inferring petrological affinity of the rocks) along the basin axis and towards mainland Ireland with the aim of better understanding its geological evolution. For more information on this research click here (insert link)
Bathymetry map of the Porcupine Basin depicting the location of WAS lines of the project (red lines), as well as the location of ocean bottom seismometers (yellow circles) and land stations (red triangles) used to record the data.
Ocean and Tidal Modelling
Oceans play an important role in the Earth system. At DIAS Geophysics, ongoing research focuses on wind and buoyancy driven circulations as well as tidally driven circulations within our oceans. Collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) Swarm satellite mission is investigating the magnetic signatures of the ocean circulation systems. The motivation is that the ocean-induced magnetic field may provide a greater understanding of ocean circulations. For more information about these research areas click here. (insert link)
A snapshot of the ocean surface elevations (in metres) generated by the tidal force.
WAVEOBS
Ocean waves generate continuous low amplitude seismic signals, known as microseisms, that are recorded on seismometers globally. The WAVEOBS project was established with three primary goals; to get a better fundamental understanding of microseism sources; to investigate the use of ocean generated microseisms (OGM) as real time ocean wave height data; and to investigate their use as a climate proxy. Seismic arrays established in Ireland under the WAVEOBS project allow the monitoring and mapping of local microseism generation areas near Ireland. For more information on this project click here. (insert link)
Source locations of microseisms off the west coast of Ireland
Geophysics
Irish scientists were members of an international research team that recorded the first-ever detailed description of a volcanic eruption in Ecuador. @griffin_caitlin reports irishexaminer.com/news/arid-4023… Retweeted by DIAS Geophysics
Caldera resurgence during the 2018 eruption of Sierra Negra volcano, Galápagos Islands go.nature.com/3kAti7p Retweeted by DIAS Geophysics
Lead up to volcanic eruption in Galapagos captured in rare detail | Penn State University news.psu.edu/story/649350/2… Retweeted by DIAS Geophysics
Earthquakes were very much concentrated on the intra-caldera shallow trapdoor fault system. Through the inflation-deflation syscle, the 'sinuous ridge' within the caldera grew by 1.5 m relative to the caldera floor Retweeted by DIAS Geophysics
Have a look at our latest Galapagos research out now in @NatureComms! Great work by @AndyFBell leading this multidisciplinary effort and putting everything together! nature.com/articles/s4146… Retweeted by DIAS Geophysics
The #Galapagos volcanoes have done it again: #SierraNegra2018, an eruption featuring amazing deformation, seismicity and everything else. I contributed with #InSAR data but @AndyFBell @volcano_dr @IGecuador et al. have brought it home! nature.com/articles/s4146… Retweeted by DIAS Geophysics
@DIAS_Dublin #DIASdiscovers
Happy to see our research #SierraNegra2018 eruption published. Glad to work with @AndyFBell @IGecuador @dias_geophysics @Volcan_Ecuador @sarahjjjaye @marco_bagnardi @MikeJ_Stock @hernarado nature.com/articles/s4146… Retweeted by DIAS Geophysics
New paper out today in @NatureComms on the Sierra Negra volcano, Galápagos. It was wonderful to be part of such a great multidisciplinary team including @AndyFBell @volcano_dr @IGecuador @marco_bagnardi @Volcan_Ecuador @hernarado @sarahjjjaye @MikeJ_Stock nature.com/articles/s4146…
Not all volcanoes are created equal!🌋New multidisciplinary paper out today showing that pre-eruptive processes in Galapagos are very different to Iceland/Hawaii! Great to work with @AndyFBell @volcano_dr @IGecuador and others! @tcddublin @GeosciencesEd ➡️nature.com/articles/s4146… Retweeted by DIAS Geophysics
Pleased that our paper on the 2018 eruption of Sierra Negra in the Galápagos is out today. Very much an multidisciplinary team effort, including @volcano_dr @IGecuador @marco_bagnardi @dias_geophysics @Volcan_Ecuador @hernarado @sarahjjjaye @MikeJ_Stock nature.com/articles/s4146… Retweeted by DIAS Geophysics
A pot of lava at the end of the rainbow? A #rainbow forms over Halema‘uma‘u crater following an afternoon rain shower on February 22. #Rainbows are often observed over #Halemaumau, as mist and rain move across the Kīlauea #caldera. #Kilauea2021 Retweeted by DIAS Geophysics
Lava fountains, pyroclastic flow and lightning during the latest paroxysmal eruptive episode at #Etna, 24 February 2021 Retweeted by DIAS Geophysics
Dr Melissa A Pfeffer & Dr Sara Barsotti from IMO carried out gas measurements in Reykjanes. Despite the ongoing seismic swarm for the last 24 hrs, no increase of gases was detected. Another field campaign is being prepared & the area is under strong surveillance. #EUROVOLC Retweeted by DIAS Geophysics
Grand day for a master class from Florian Le Pape on the @dias_geophysics ocean bottom seismometers. We'll be deploying these as part of the @iCRAGcentre survey led by Andy Trafford & Shane Donohoe @ucddublin to develop a fibre-optic approach for offshore site investigation Retweeted by DIAS Geophysics
An example of selected schools for @AtSeismo are inviting students from nearby schools to share earthquake-related knowledge, thanks to high-motivated students and teachers. Good to see knowledge is transferring into the community. @SubediShiba1 seismoschoolnp.org Retweeted by DIAS Geophysics
Earthquake swarm began this morning close to Fagradalsfjall. An M5.7 earthq. occurred at 10:05 many aftershocks followed. Info will be updated when activity has been reviewed further. Activity is within the Reykjanes peninsula. Other locations of large earthquakes are unreliable. Retweeted by DIAS Geophysics
A seismic swarm is shaking the Reykjanes peninsula, the volcano-tectonic episode close to Grindavík is still ongoing. Several earthquakes of ~M5 have taken place for the past hour. The 10:05 earthquake has been calculated Mw5.65. en.vedur.is/earthquakes-an… Retweeted by DIAS Geophysics
Results from the real-time #GPS #analysis from station SENG 12km SW of the epicenter of the Mw5.65 #earthquake this morning at 10:05 local time showing 3cm southward motion. #EUROVOLC #volcanichazard #volcanicrisk #volcanos Retweeted by DIAS Geophysics
Elodie Kendall (Postdoc in Geodynamic Modelling Section @GFZ_Potsdam) shares with us recent work on the mantle structures that could explain the Indian Ocean Geoid Low #EGUBlogs @EuroGeosciences blogs.egu.eu/divisions/gd/2… Retweeted by DIAS Geophysics