The National Applied Research Laboratories under the Ministry of Science and Technology praised the results of a Taiwan-led effort to design, fabricate and test ocean-bottom seismometers Dec. 27 in Taipei City.
Designed to collect data on marine seismic activity, OBS units work to locate faults, fracture zones and earthquake epicenters with precision. Beginning in 2008, the ongoing OBS project is jointly led by NARL’s Taiwan Ocean Research Institute, Taipei-based Academic Sinica, the nation’s top research institution, and southern Taiwan’s National Sun Yat-sen University.
In 2011, the project went international when the Taiwan team began collaborating with the Korean Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, which helped researchers place four of the devices in waters off the Korean Peninsula. Earlier this year, Pusan National University in Busan replaced KIOST as Taiwan’s partner in the country.
According to Pei-ying Patty Lin, a TORI assistant researcher taking part in the project, the Taiwan-made OBS units won praise from the PNU team, which helped analyze data collected from the devices. “Less than 10 countries in the world are capable of producing such equipment,” she said. “The TORI project is a testament to Taiwan’s technological strength.”
Lin said the South Korean university is considering purchasing the Taiwan-designed OBS units, which are less expensive than comparable foreign-made devices. Weighing in at 200 kilograms, they are also around 100 kg lighter than other models.
Taiwan is situated in one of the world’s most earthquake-prone regions and has therefore devoted considerable time and energy to developing technologies and strategies for coping with natural disasters. In addition to TORI, other institutions studying natural disaster-related technologies include the National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering, established in 1998 under NARL.
A branch of the center focusing on creating earthquake-resistant architecture is scheduled to open in southern Taiwan’s Tainan City in 2017. (OC-E)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw