Overview
ISO 3482:2022 - Ships and marine technology - Technical guidelines for active source exploration with ocean bottom seismometers (OBS) provides standardized technical requirements and procedures for conducting active-source seafloor seismic surveys using OBS systems. The standard covers instrument requirements, system makeup, active seismic sources, field design and operations, data acquisition, processing and archiving. It is also a useful reference for passive OBS work and for applications in seabed resource exploration, geological-disaster surveillance and submarine geoscience research.
Key topics and technical requirements
- System makeup and components: Defines the OBS instrument elements such as the seismic sensing system (3‑component geophones/seismometers), acoustic sensing (hydrophone), recording and storage units, release and acoustic communication units, deck control, auxiliary recovery devices and anchors.
- Time and spatial references: Requires adoption of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) or local time, WGS84 coordinate system, local mean sea level as the vertical reference, and GNSS for positioning.
- OBS acquisition parameters: Includes minimum performance expectations for active-source operations - for example, short‑period OBS frequency limits and minimum sampling frequency (document specifies a sampling rate not less than 20 Hz).
- Deployment & recovery procedures: Technical guidance for deployment/recovery systems, OBS parameter setting, sealing and pressure‑tube management, acoustic release procedures, voyage and timing/positioning requirements, and operation logging.
- Seismic sources and field design: Guidance on active-source arrays (e.g., air-gun arrays), source timing and offsets, and survey design to optimize crust and upper-mantle imaging with OBS.
- Data handling: Requirements for raw field data, ancillary metadata, recommended processing workflows and long‑term data archiving and reporting to ensure data quality and reproducibility.
Practical applications
ISO 3482:2022 is intended to improve consistency and data quality in marine seismic work where OBS are used. Typical applications include:
- Seabed resource and hydrocarbon prospecting
- Imaging continental margins, subduction zones and mid‑ocean ridges
- Geological hazard monitoring and earthquake‑related research
- Engineering site characterization for offshore infrastructures
Who should use this standard
- Marine geophysicists and survey teams planning OBS active‑source campaigns
- OBS manufacturers and system integrators defining product specifications
- Research institutions and universities performing seafloor seismic studies
- Oil & gas exploration companies and marine engineering contractors
- Regulatory agencies and data repositories tasked with survey compliance and archiving
Related standards
ISO 3482:2022 complements other marine and geophysical standards addressing navigation, timing, and data management. It also serves as a reference point for passive-source OBS operations and industry best practice in marine seismic surveying.
Keywords: ISO 3482:2022, ocean bottom seismometer, OBS, active source exploration, marine seismic, seabed exploration, WGS84, GNSS, UTC, data archiving.