Weekly Science and Technology Talk | This "clairvoyance and super hearing" can help us better detect marine disasters

Among various oceanographic instruments, ocean buoys are an important "member". They are long-term, continuous, all-weather, automated ocean observation equipment anchored at sea. They are mainly used for operational ocean environmental observation and forecasting, as well as real-time monitoring of natural disasters such as typhoons, tsunamis, storm surges, and red tides. They are important equipment for forming a three-dimensional ocean environment monitoring network.

In January 2019, the project "Development of a Series of Ocean Monitoring Buoys and Their Application in National Marine Environmental Monitoring" won the second prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award in 2018.

What is an ocean monitoring buoy?

Many people may think that buoys are floating objects used to indicate the direction of waterways and obstacles.

However, ocean monitoring buoys are different from navigation marks. Their monitoring functions are very powerful and they are the "eyes and ears" for "understanding the ocean."

In fact, the ocean monitoring buoy is equivalent to a monitoring station we deploy at sea. The sensors carried on it have the function of sensing environmental changes. These sensors are similar to the eyes and ears of our human body. The buoy monitors the wind, waves, currents and other environmental information of the sea 365 days a year and sends back relevant data in real time. After collecting and processing the relevant data, scientific researchers will provide corresponding services for the country's ocean and meteorological forecasts, disaster prevention and mitigation, environmental protection, scientific research, and coastal defense security.

Technological innovation in ocean monitoring buoys

An ocean buoy contains various technologies such as sensors, data collection, communication transmission, and overall control. In addition, the marine climate is harsh and changeable, which places very high demands on various conditions of the equipment.

China's ocean buoy system started from scratch. With the precise efforts of scientific researchers, focusing on the research and development of core components, in the past 20 years, it has achieved the successful development of a variety of sensor series; at the same time, it has broken through the limitations of electronic control systems, allowing buoys to operate normally in harsh environments, and automatically correct errors and recover.

China's ocean buoy series system has also been gradually improved, from the initial monitoring of seven elements including hydrology, air pressure, temperature, etc. to more than 30 elements today. At present, my country has more than 200 sets of ocean buoys. An observation system has been formed for ocean buoys of different models and different detection requirements in different waters, providing marine meteorological and hydrological data to the State Oceanic Administration and the Meteorological Administration every day.

Expert: Zhen Yu, Professor of the School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China

China Association for Science and Technology Department of Science Popularization

Xinhuanet

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