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12 MTR July/August 2005 A multibeam echosounder system, jointly developed by the U.S. Navy and SeaBeam Instruments Inc. more than ten years ago, provided the world with its first images of the ocean floor near the epicenter of the Asian tsunami. The SASS IV system installed aboard the U.K. Navy's oceano- graphic survey vessel, HMS Scott, is a low- frequency, high-resolution sonar system that collects and processes seafloor depth data over a wide swath, in near real time. Following the December 26, 2004 quake, the Scott deployed to the area and collected bathymetric data. The data were then used to create 3-D images that scientists are still evaluating to further their understanding of the earthquake and assist in the prediction of such events in the future. The SASS seafloor images, recently released by the U.K. Ministry of Defense, show enormous "scars" more than 6 miles wide and newly formed ridges up to 1,500 meters (4,950 feet) high that were thrust up when the India tectonic plate collided with and pushed underneath the Burma plate. The SASS IV is an ocean mapping system used by both the U.S. and U.K. navies to survey deep-ocean areas around the globe. SeaBeam Instruments was contracted by the Navy to design and deliver major compo- nents of the SASS systems in the 1980s and 1990s. In 1999, SeaBeam was acquired by L-3 Communications and is currently a product division of L-3 Communications Klein Associates of Salem, New Hampshire. For more information visit www.maritimeequip- ment.com/mt & Click No. 65 One-Stop Shop for Subsea Vehicle Components A new business alliance will allow users to purchase subsea vehicles, vehicle compo- nents, and control systems from a single source. Schilling Robotics LLC and Scotland's Sub-Atlantic Ltd. will pool resources for sales, service, product develop- ment, and marketing, according to a joint statement. Colin Millum, Sub-Atlantic's joint managing director, said the alliance "Offers ROVs, tether management systems, communication and control systems, elec- tric and hydraulic manipulators, tool skids, electrical and hydraulic thrusters, hydraulic power units, valve packs, compensators, pan and tilts, rotary and linear actuators, and cable/connector assemblies." Tyler Schilling, Schilling CEO, added that "By pooling the technical expertise of both com- panies, the alliance can enhance current products and create new ones more quickly and efficiently." For more information visit www.maritimeequip- ment.com/mt & Click No. 64 Seafloor Maps of Tsunami Earthquake Zone news MTR#1 (1-16).qxd 7/19/2005 9:32 AM Page 14
