The invention relates to a method for seismic survey by autonomous seismic nodes (1) at a sea floor (2), comprising: —attaching the seismic nodes (1) to a rope (3); —loading the rope (3) with the seismic nodes into a node deployer (4); —lowering the node deployer (4) into the sea (5); —towing the node deployer (4) above the sea floor (2); —deploying the rope (3) with the seismic nodes (1) at the sea floor (2); —collecting seismic data by the seismic nodes (1); —retrieving the rope (3) with the seismic nodes (1) from the sea floor (2), and —unloading seismic data from the seismic nodes (1). The invention also relates to a node deployer (4) for deploying a rope (3) with seismic nodes (1) at the sea floor (2), comprising a magazine (7) for the rope (3) with the seismic nodes (1).

A marine seismic exploration method and system comprised of continuous recording, self-contained ocean bottom pods characterized by low profile casings. An external bumper is provided to promote ocean bottom coupling and prevent fishing net entrapment. Pods are tethered together with flexible, non-rigid, non-conducting cable used to control pod deployment. Pods are deployed and retrieved from a boat deck configured to have a storage system and a handling system to attach pods to cable on-the-fly. The storage system is a juke box configuration of slots wherein individual pods are randomly stored in the slots to permit data extraction, charging, testing and synchronizing without opening the pods. A pod may include an inertial navigation system to determine ocean floor location and a rubidium clock for timing. The system includes mathematical gimballing. The cable may include shear couplings designed to automatically shear apart if a certain level of cable tension is reached.

Systems, methods, and apparatuses related to automatically and simultaneously charging a plurality of autonomous seismic nodes on a marine vessel before and/or after deployment to the seabed are disclosed. A plurality of autonomous seismic nodes are simultaneously charged in a CSC approved ISO container. Each autonomous seismic node may comprise a plurality of power connectors, a plurality of rechargeable batteries, and a battery management system. Each of the nodes may be configured to couple with a charging system on the marine vessel, which may include a power source, one or more power/charging stations, one or more power connectors, and a network. The node may have a plurality of power connectors disposed within a plurality of grooves that are configured to couple with a plurality of charging rails for simultaneous charging.

A seismic data acquisition positioning apparatus is provided. The apparatus can include a seismic data acquisition unit. The unit can include a case having an internal compartment. The unit can include a power source, a clock, a seismic data recorder, a control unit, and at least one sensor disposed within the case. The apparatus can include a hanging unit including a beacon unit. The apparatus can include a connector having a first end coupled with the seismic data acquisition unit and having a second end coupled with the hanging unit. The connector can pivot about the first end of the connector.

A multi-axis, single mass acceleration sensor includes a three-dimensional frame, a test mass, a plurality of transducers, and a plurality of struts. The test mass may have three principal axes disposed within and spaced apart from the frame. The transducers are mechanically coupled to the frame. The struts are configured to couple to the central mass at each of the three principal axes, respectively, and to couple with respective sets of the transducers, thereby suspending the test mass within the frame. The sensor is thus responsive to translational motion in multiple independent directions and to rotational motion about multiple independent axes.

A hybrid, modularized, tailored and re-configurable distributed monitoring and characterization device for bodies of water and sediments, including oceans, lakes, rivers, and water reservoirs. The device includes individual nodes, which are deployed as either a stand-alone or networked system. Each node is a multi-physics and multi-purpose piece of equipment with electronics and sensors configured into different modules which interconnect similar to building blocks. The device provides two housing options: a hard shell housing option for shallow water and an oil-filled soft shell housing scheme for deep water.

The present invention relates to the technical field of long-term in-situ monitoring of sediment disturbance in deep-sea surface mineral mining, and more particularly to a device for monitoring deep-sea sediment environment in mining polymetallic nodules. The monitoring system comprises: acoustic Doppler flow profilers, a spontaneous potential probe, a turbidity meter and an underwater camera. The invention can realize long-term in-situ observation of sediment disturbance, and can realize the mechanical recovery of probe rod-type equipment without large-scale mechanical devices, thereby reducing the overall weight of the recovery equipment and increasing the probability of successful equipment recovery. Compared with the existing long-term in-situ observation equipment on the seabed, it is more environmentally friendly, efficient, energy-saving and reliable.

Performing a seismic survey in an aqueous medium is provided. A system can include a transfer device with a first vertical side and a second vertical side. The transfer device can include a chute to receive units. The chute extends from the first vertical side to the second vertical side. The chute has a first end at the first vertical side that is higher than a second end at the second vertical side opposite the first end to establish a first slope for the chute, which causes the units to slide from the first end towards the second end via gravity. The transfer device includes a retainer at the second end of the chute to be actuated by an arm of a first underwater vehicle that mates with the chute. The transfer device can be towed by a marine vessel via an unpowered rope.

A method of estimating a mineral content of a seabed geological structure is provided wherein there is provided at least one geophysical parameter of the geological structure. The method includes inverting the at least one geophysical parameter to estimate the mineral content of the geological structure.

The present invention concerns a system for marine seismographic data acquisition, in particular for use in survey design. The invention provides a method for marine seismographic acquisition whereby subsea data and information can be collected using sea floor receivers and suspended receivers simultaneously. This is achieved by aligning the geometries of the two acquisition techniques and utilizing a system of wide-towed seismic sources that produce seismic energy on all the source point locations required to fulfil both acquisition methods.