We are proud to announce that Nijdra contributes to maritime research on the bottom of the Mediterranean. With a web of three thousand thermometers - part of an enormous measuring set-up (the total weight above water is 30 tons) - our customer NIOZ will map underwater waves, because without knowledge of these waves you cannot understand the spread of water, heat and nutrients in the oceans.
The measuring set-up consists of a large ring with a diameter of 70 m, containing 3,000 highly accurate temperature sensors (accurate to 0.001 °C), of which Nijdra produced the 3,000 titanium housings. These sensors are distributed over 45 vertical lines, 125 m high and 9.5 m apart.
The structure will be sunk to a depth of 2500 m to the foot of the southern French continental slope of the Mediterranean, an area known for different currents and turbulent eddies.
The temperature will be measured here for 2 years and they will then be able to map exactly the waves under water in 3D.
Pack of high-precision temperature sensors and close-up of a sensor. Photo: Rob Buiter
For more information:
https://www.nioz.nl/en/blog/niozatsea-assembling-a-3d-high-precision-temperature-array
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IXe4TQd-wc
https://www.nioz.nl/en/news/testing-a-70-m-mooring-construction-for-deep-sea-research-on-land