Objectives of the proposal in the context of ESONET NOE
The goal of the present demonstration mission (MARMARA-DM) is to contribute to the establishment of optimized permanent seafloor observatory stations for earthquake monitoring in the Marmara Sea, as part of ESONET NoE.
The Marmara Sea (MS) offers the ideal location for seafloor seismogenic observations directed towards risk assessment, because of the following reasons:
1. the deformation rates (20 mm/y) are very high compared to any other marine sites in Europe, resulting in active submarine processes that are measurable on short time scales
2. more than 15 millions people are under the threat of seismogenic hazard in the whole Marmara Region. Hence, the continuous seafloor monitoring would have high societal impact
3. Numerous fluid vents and related features have been discovered along the MS fault system (Figs. 1 & 2). The MS is thus a unique area to test hypothesis on the relations between strike-slip deformation, seismic activity, fluid flow and gas expulsion within the active fault zone.
4. logistics are favored by the proximity to the coastlines (only 5 to 30 km), which make cost-effective and realistic the establishment of permanent seafloor observatories.
The specific objectives of the present demonstration mission are:
1. To characterize the temporal and spatial relations between fluid expulsion, fluid chemistry and seismic activity in the MS,
2. To test the relevance of permanent seafloor observatories for an innovative monitoring of earthquake related hazards, appropriate to the Marmara Sea specific environment
3. To conduct a feasibility study to optimize the submarine infrastructure options (fiber optic cable, buoys with a wireless meshed network, autonomous mobile stations with wireless messenger). This study will also ensure standardization and integration with other initiatives world wide (Europe through Esonet, but also with Neptune)
4. To ensure the sustainability by involving the national and local authorities, and coordinate national (Turkish) and international efforts towards a optimized, permanent seafloor monitoring for the geohazard risk assessment and mitigation in the MS.