Low-noise, low-power-consumption seafloor vector magnetometer.

The seafloor vector magnetometer is an effective tool for marine geomagnetic surveys and seafloor magnetotelluric (MT) detection. However, the noise, power consumption, cost, and volume characteristics of existing seafloor vector magnetometers are insufficient for practical use. Therefore, a low-noise, low-power-consumption seafloor vector magnetometer that can be used for data acquisition of deep-ocean geomagnetic vector components is developed and presented. A seafloor vector magnetometer mainly consists of a fluxgate sensor, data acquisition module, acoustic release module, glass sphere, frame, burn-wire release, and anchor. A new low-noise data acquisition module and a fluxgate sensor greatly reduce power consumption. Furthermore, compact size is achieved by integrating an acoustic telemetry module and replacing the acoustic release with an external burn-wire release. The new design and magnetometer characteristics reduce the volume of the instrument and the cost of hardware considerably, thereby improving the integrity and deployment efficiency of the equipment. Theoretically, it can operate for 90 days underwater at a maximum depth of 6 000 m. The seafloor vector magnetometer was tested in the South China Sea and the Philippine Sea and obtained high-quality geomagnetic data. The deep-water environment facilitates magnetic field data measurements, and the magnetometer has an approximate noise level of 10 pT/rt (Hz)@1 Hz, a peak-to-peak value error of 0.2 nT, and approximate power consumption of 200 mW. The fluxgate sensor can measure the magnetic field in the lower frequency band and realize geomagnetic field measurements over prolonged periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]