EGIM, EMSO Generic Instrument Module

Developed within the frame of the European Union funded H2020 project EMSOdev, the EGIM is designed to consistently and continuously measure parameters of interest for the science areas outlined by EMSO (the European Multidisciplinary Seafloor and water column Observatory established as a European Research Infrastructure Consortium).

The EGIM is able to operate on any EMSO node, mooring line, sea bed station, cabled or non-cabled and surface buoy. A central function of EGIM within the EMSO infrastructure is to have a number of ocean locations where the same set of core variables are measured homogeneously: using the same hardware, same sensor references, same qualification methods, same calibration methods, same data format and access, same maintenance procedures.

An initial set of parameters selected for the prototype EGIM, primarily focuses on sensors monitoring; temperature, conductivity, pressure, dissolved O2, turbidity, acoustics and ocean currents.

Key Features
  • Provides 7 generic parameters and can host up to 16 sensors
  • Compatible with mooring, cabled and non-cabled marine platforms
  • Ultra-low power and high bandwidth capacity
  • Time stamping suitable for seismology and acoustic sensor synchronization

Parameters: Conductivity, Temperature, Pressure, Dissolved oxygen, Tubidity, Passive acoustics, Current profile

 Technical specifications

Size:

Weight (cabled configuration):
 

Maximal operating pressure:

Operating temperature range:
 
 
 
 Power sypply:

Communication technology:

Consumption:

Φ 850, H 1300 mm

In air: 113 daN
In sea water: 56 daN

4850 m

Short term running: -2°C / 35°C with solar radiation
Long term running: -2°C / 25°C (in water)
Storage: -20°C / 72 h
Sleeping mode: -20°C / 16 h

12 to 36 VDC or 250 to 425 VDC

RS232

1,5 mW in sleep mode with TCXO

Figures of merits

Measurement range:

Accuracy

Sensitivity

Conductivity

Temperature

Pressure

Dissolved oxygen

Tubidity

Passive acoustics

Current profile

0 to 7 S/m

-5 to 35 °C

0 to 625 bars

0 to 465 μmol/l

0 to 250 NTU

20 to 200.000 Hz

0 to 100 m

0.001 S/m

0.005 °C

0.01% FSR

Less than 8 μmol/l

0.1 NTU

0.1 to 100 Hz (Geology specific)

Velocity: 1% ±0,5 cm/s
Direction: ±2°

0.00005 S/m

0.0001 °C

1.10-7 FSR

Less than 1 μmol/l

0.02 NTU

1 V/μPa-190 dB (re 1V/μPa)

Velocity: 0.1 cm/s
Direction: 0.01°

Reference
  • 2016, OBSEA: The EGIM Prototype was deployed in cabled mode on OBSEA from December 2016 to April 2017, https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.88307
  • 2017, EMSO-Azores: one year deployment of the EGIM prototype on EMSO Azores in non-cabled configuration
  • 2019, PLOCAN/ESTOC: deployement for test in shallow water (cabled and autonomous) then deployement at 3580 m  depth (autonomous) https://www.seanoe.org/data/00724/83643/relateddata.htm
  • 2022, La Palma: deployement offshore La Palma in order to assess and monitor the impact of the volcano’s activity on the marine ecosystem.
  • 2022, EMSO Azores: The EGIM serves all the sensors on SeaMon West, core parameters and OBS.
Publication

Lantéri N, Ruhl HA, Gates A, Martínez E, del Rio Fernandez J, Aguzzi J, Cannat M, Delory E, Embriaco D, Huber R, Matabos M, Petihakis G, Reilly K, Rolin J-F, van der Schaar M, André M, Blandin J, Cianca A, Francescangeli M, Garcia O, Hartman S, Lagadec J-R, Legrand J, Pagonis P, Piera J, Remirez X, Toma DM, Marinaro G, Moreau B, Santana R, Wright H, Dañobeitia JJ and Favali P (2022) The EMSO Generic Instrument Module (EGIM): Standardized and Interoperable Instrumentation for Ocean Observation. Front. Mar. Sci. 9:801033. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2022.801033

Contact:

Nadine Lantéri, Ifremer, France