Nanometrics selected to provide seismic instrumentation solution for the COSZO

Nanometrics, a leader in complete, integrated solutions for seismic monitoring for nearly four decades, is pleased to announce its selection by the University of Washington to provide the ocean bottom seismic instrumentation station for the Cascadia Offshore Subduction Zone Observatory (COSZO). The COSZO project will expand the existing Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) Regional Cabled Array (RCA) to enhance research capabilities in this critical region.

Enhancing Early Warning Systems AND Understanding of Earthquake and Tsunami Hazards

Funded by the National Science Foundation, the COSZO project aims to improve understanding of the Cascadia Subduction Zone located offshore from central Oregon. Extending from Northern California, USA, to Vancouver, Canada, the Cascadia Subduction Zone is a major earthquake and tsunami hazard known to produce Magnitude 9 earthquakes. The project will add science junction boxes and geophysical instruments to the OOI RCA, which has been providing seismic data to the public since 2014. The instrumentation will be deployed in the Cascadia Subduction Zone at water depths of 80m to 1300m, buried in the sediments within a caisson that will be back filled with silica beads for further noise reduction. Researchers aim to have their first set of instruments in the water by summer 2026 and the COSZO system is designed to operate for at least 15 years. This critical mass of offshore geophysical observatory infrastructure will enable studies that improve our understanding of the region’s earthquake and tsunami hazards as well as contribute to early warning systems.

Atlantis Cabled Observatory: Designed for Long-Term Performance

Nanometrics brings high-performance seismic instrumentation and a record of collaboration with researchers and industry to deliver reliable, customized solutions to each Ocean Bottom Seismic (OBS) solution. With a deep understanding of the requirements for the COSZO seismic instrumentation, Nanometrics engineered the Cabled Ocean Bottom Seismic Observatory (Cabled Observatory). The Cabled Observatory is part of Nanometrics’ Atlantis OBS portfolio of customized, commercial solutions engineered for scientists and critical infrastructure systems. In addition to offering reliable, high-quality seismic data, the Cabled Observatory is designed to interface with the existing infrastructure of the OOI RCA.

The Atlantis Cabled Observatory integrates the broadband observatory grade Trillium 360 OBS seismometer, ‘Class A’ Titan accelerometer, and new Centaur Gen5 digitizer. The Centaur data logger enables the addition of differential pressure gauges and low frequency hydrophones into the Cabled Observatory system. Nanometrics’ solutions and customer care teams will continue to work closely with OOI over the coming months to ensure the success of the next phases of their project.

"The COSZO will establish a world-class subduction zone observatory in Cascadia to address fundamental questions related to the accumulation and release of strain on the megathrust fault, in a region of central Oregon where this process is poorly understood. The Nanometrics Atlantis Cabled Observatory is one of the key instruments on the COSZO,” said William S. D. Wilcock, Professor of Oceanography, University of Washington. “It will provide state-of-the-art seismic observations from several sensors that are important for improving our understanding of persistent clusters of earthquakes beneath the Oregon continental shelf and for searching for subtle signals related to slow strain release on the fault. The solution will also provide data with the very low latency necessary to develop offshore earthquake early warning.”

Reflecting on the project, John Hunt, Vice President and General Manager, Seismic Instruments & Systems, at Nanometrics explained, “Our Atlantis Cabled Observatory is in many ways an accumulation of the nearly four decades of seismic instrumentation and over ten years of OBS experience with our customers. It offers everything that scientists expect from Nanometrics: quality instrumentation, reliability, flexibility, and robust data, optimized for the ocean floor - where things like reliability are even more critical due to the nature of the deployment. Bringing this solution to the COSZO and supporting the important multidisciplinary research happening at the University of Washington is very rewarding for the team here at Nanometrics.”