International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR)

ISSN (Online): 2319-7064

Index Copernicus Value (2015): 78.96 | Impact Factor (2015): 6.391

Study of Applications of Underwater Wireless

Sensor Networks
M. Kiranmayi1, Dr. Kathirvel Ayyaswamy2
1
Research Scholar, Meenakshi Academy of Higher Education and Research, Department of Computer Science and Engineering,
Chennai, India
2
Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Misrimal Navajee Munoth Jain Engineering College, Chennai, India

Abstract: While sensor networks are the source point to be grown in todays applications on the ground, under water operations and
research are not attaining the highest goals by comparison. This paper explores the various applications of underwater wireless sensor
networks and the major challenges in the design of underwater wireless sensor networks.

Keywords: Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks, Applications and Challenges

1. Introduction information to the base station which makes them available

on the internet.
In our earth one fourth is covered by living and three fourth
is covered with water. Underwater networks are utilized in In India, 18 to 106 meteorological and oceanographic
the modern era in the multiple areas of underwater research parameters which include subsurface data are measured by
which includes industrial, structural, micro habitat etc. moored buoys. This information are transmitted in the real
Underwater wireless sensor networks plays a major time to the centre called NIOT (National Institute of Ocean
experience in physical applications like oil and gas Technology) Data Centre, Chennai via satellite telemetry at
exploration, sensing of chemical and biological phenomena, hourly/interval and are being disseminated in Global
seismic studies etc. Compared to its terrestrial counterpart Telecommunication System (GTS) for benefit through
this UWSNs is in the beginning stage due to the World Meteorological Organization.
involvement of high cost and physical challenges involved
in. 2.1 Seismic Monitoring

To know about underwater applications, there are some Seismic monitoring can be of underground seismic
design challenges and tools from ground based wireless monitoring and underwater seismic monitoring. The below
sensor networks. Even underwater networks resembles like diagram in Figure1 shows about the classification of seismic
terrestrial networks, there are some fundamentally different monitoring.
from terrestrial networks which are not suitable for the
underwater environment. Radio signals in terrestrial
networks are not applicable for underwater networks due to
the propagation of long distances at very low frequencies,
requires high transmission power and large antennas. Due to
the shadow zones, temporary connectivity loss is
Figure 1: Classification of Seismic monitoring
experienced [1].
2.1.1 Underground Seismic
When compared with radio waves, acoustic waves have
In todays world, earth quakes are happening frequently in
high propagation delay, low or insufficient bandwidth, path
many countries of the world, with any appearance of a
loss and more consumption of energy. Additionally, some
sudden and unexpected event. The majority of earth quakes
other challenges such as continuous movement of sensor
are due to sudden slip of a rock formation by faults, which
nodes, which is unsuitable for the (GPS) Global Positioning
results in a seismic waves that shakes the ground, damage
System for the underwater environment [2].
structures, land slides and deadly events. The damage on
underground strongly depends on three mechanisms:
2. Potential Applications Seismic source: Refers to the failure of the rock mass which
pre-exists frequently on a weakness such as fault, where the
Some of the possible wireless sensor network applications seismic energy release, Rock burst: This mechanism refers
are: industrial monitoring, Environmental, warfare, only when the hanging and sidewall Collapses. The major
healthcare, education, agriculture etc. With the joint hands Rock burst damage will be caused by the fall of slabs due to
and efforts of the college of Atlantic and the university of the thickness which is < 1.6m.
California, some environmental monitoring parameters is
carried out in the Great Duck Island on the coast of maine 2.1.2 Underwater Seismic
by means of network of Berkeley equipped with more Seismic monitoring is a promising application for
number of wireless sensors. The nodes send their underwater sensor networks for oil extraction from

Volume 6 Issue 4, April 2017

www.ijsr.net
Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY
Paper ID: ART20172588 1662
 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR)
ISSN (Online): 2319-7064
Index Copernicus Value (2015): 78.96 | Impact Factor (2015): 6.391
underwater fields. 3-D seismic monitoring is an important water corrosion and radio wave attenuation. Environmental
technology used in the oil industry for oil exploration and monitoring includes: shipping noise, pipeline leak detection,
reservoir management. Frequent seismic monitoring is of hydro dams, earth quakes, tsunamis and sea ice monitoring.
importance in oil extraction and studies of variation in the Hydrophones are the one which detect these issues in the
reservoir over time are called 4-D seismic with time series environment. For example, in shipping noise, hydrophones
which improves resource recovery and oil productivity and are used to know about the marine environment and
also useful for judging field performance and motivating understand of how sound in underwater effects cetacean
intervention. In the last two decades, there has an effective activity. Hydrophones are the tool for understanding the
increase in monitoring the undersea seismic process due to sensitivity of the ocean environment. Hydrophones are also
the technique has been successfully applied to large used in acoustic leak detectors which notify the sound
hydrocarbon fields, especially in North Sea. One seismic induced by water leaking from pipelines under pressure.
survey can generate 7TB of data or more [7]. Successful 4D
studies aim to increase production and cost savings through UW-ASNs can perform pollution monitoring (chemical
better planning of production and injection wells and monitoring, biological and nuclear monitoring). For
increased understanding of reservoir characteristics. example, it may be possible to detail the chemical slurry of
antibiotics, estrogen-type hormones and insecticides to
Today, most seismic imaging tasks for offshore oil fields are monitor streams, rivers, lakes and ocean bays (water quality
carried out by a ship that tows a large array of hydrophones in-situ analysis). Monitoring of oceanographic currents and
on the surface. A compressed-air gun generates a shock winds, improved weather forecast, notifying climate change,
wave in the water. The wave travels down the sea floor and under-standing and predicting the effect of human activities
is reflected by different layers of the rock. The seismic on marine ecosystems such as tracking of fishes or micro-
signal is eventually received by each hydrophone on organisms, are other possible applications. More specifically
surface, and the data are processed coherently to form an underwater sensor networks can be used to detect extreme
image. Due to the high cost of such seismic imaging, it is temperature gradients (thermo clines) which are considered
only performed rarely, for example, once a year. An to be a breeding ground for certain marine micro-organisms
alternative way used for underwater seismic is to deploy [4].
sensors in undersea, which are connected by cables. The
approach has the advantage of frequent data collection. 2.3 Ocean Sampling Networks
However, it is very expensive to lay cables in underwater
for a vast area. The below diagram in Figure 2 shows an Because the ocean is a three dimensional environment, that
example of underwater seismic monitoring. is constantly changing over time. Oceanographers must
often install many instruments over large areas or use
mobile vehicles such as robotic submarines to carry their
instruments around. The figure 3 shows about the ocean
sampling networks. By linking instruments at many
locations together in networks that send data back to shore
automatically called Ocean Observations. The Ocean
sampling networks were designed to test a variety of cutting
edge methods for monitoring large areas of the coastal
ocean [12].

Figure 2: Underwater Seismic Monitoring

Terrestrial oil fields can be frequently monitored, typically

being surveyed annually or quarterly. In some fields, and
even daily or continuously in some gas storage facilities and
permanently instrumented fields [8]. But monitoring of
underwater oil fields is much more challenging, because
seismic sensors are not currently permanently deployed in
underwater fields. Instead, seismic monitoring of Figure 3: Ocean Sampling Networks
underwater fields typically involves a ship with a towed
sonar array as the sensor and an air cannon as the actuator. Networks of sensors and autonomous underwater
Such a study involves both large capital and operational underwater vehicles (AUVs) such as the Odyssey class
costs. Current underwater fields are evaluated rarely, AUV [3] can perform synoptic, co-operative adaptive
typically every 2-3 years. sampling of the 3-D coastal ocean environment. Recent
underwater experiments demonstrate the advantages of
2.2 Environmental Monitoring bringing together sophisticated new robotic vehicles with
advanced ocean model to improve the ability to observe and
Ocean environment has an enormous amount of predict the characteristics of the ocean environment[6], [4].
environmental variables which includes multi-path
occurrences, movement of nodes by the water current, salt
Volume 6 Issue 4, April 2017
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Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY
Paper ID: ART20172588 1663
 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR)
ISSN (Online): 2319-7064
Index Copernicus Value (2015): 78.96 | Impact Factor (2015): 6.391
2.4 Undersea explorations or Deep sea explorations: example, a 3-D underwater sensor network can realize a
tactical surveillance system that is able to detect and classify
These are the chemical and physical properties of the submarines, small delivery vehicles (SDVs), and divers
seawater as well as the geophysical and geological features based on the sensed data from mechanical, radiation,
of the earths crust [9]. In the existed years, new tools and magnetic, and acoustic micro sensors. With respect to
technologies has allowed to visit many unexplored areas of traditional radar/sonar systems, underwater sensor networks
the deep sea or ocean, for the discovery of new species and can reach a higher accuracy, higher coverage, and
new ecosystems. The diagram in Figure 4 shows about the robustness as well as enable detection and classification of
deep sea exploration [13]. low-signature targets by also combining measures from
different types of sensors.
The NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration created the authority of ocean exploration to 2.8 Mine reconnaissance
know more about explored areas. Some of the expeditions
are [10]: The simultaneous operation of multiple AUVs with acoustic
Anticipated for new anti cancer drugs and optical sensors can be used to perform rapid
Methane Hydrate deposits has been investigated. environmental assessment and detect mine-like objects [4].
Discovered The Civil war ironclad the historic turret The below diagram shows the underwater vehicles to detect
and engine. the mine like objects [14]. The autonomous underwater
Discovered steam ship Portland Lost in 1898 in the vehicle is a self-controlled unmanned vehicles or
coast of Massachusetts. submersibles to perform a variety of tasks from pipelines to
find the mines. These submersibles carry sensors that ranges
from acoustic mapping tools to biological samplers and
chemical samplers.

Figure 4: Deep Sea Exploration

These underwater sensor networks can also help to detect

underwater oilfields or reservoirs, determine routes for Figure 5: AUV to detect mine like objects
laying undersea cables, and assist in the exploration for
valuable minerals in the undersea. 3. Challenges

2.5 Disaster prevention There are some major challenges in the design of
underwater sensor networks are as follows:
Some natural disasters cause danger to the living things such The available bandwidth is severely limited.
as Volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis which can occur Propagation delay under water is five orders of magnitude
anytime and anywhere on the earth surface. In March 2011, higher than that in RF terrestrial channels and extremely
the most powerful earthquake that hit Japan with the variable.
magnitude of 9.0 which generates major tsunami waves as The underwater channel is severely impaired, especially
high as 130 feet that spread across the miles of the shore because of multi-path and fading problems.
[11]. From remote locations, Sensor networks measure the Error rates are very high and temporary loss of
seismic activity to inform tsunami warnings to coastal areas connectivity (shadow zones) can be experienced due to
or study the effects of submarine earthquakes (seaquakes) the characteristics of the underwater channel.
[3]. Battery power is limited and usually batteries cannot be
recharged; also, solar energy cannot be exploited
2.6 Assisted navigation Underwater sensor networks are prone to failure because
of fouling and corrosion.
Sensors can be used to identify hazards on the seabed, to
locate dangerous rocks or shoals in shallow waters, mooring 4. Conclusion
positions, and submerged wrecks, and to perform
bathymetry profiling. The potential capabilities of underwater sensor networks
and the wide variety of new applications that will be enabled
2.7 Distributed tactical surveillance in underwater by them motivate the development of communication
techniques for the underwater environment. While the vast
Underwater Vehicles - AUVs and fixed underwater nodes amount of solutions for terrestrial WSNs provides a valuable
are being monitored under the areas for surveillance, insight into networking in this environment, there exist
targeting information and intrusion detection systems. As an
Volume 6 Issue 4, April 2017
www.ijsr.net
Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY
Paper ID: ART20172588 1664
 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR)
ISSN (Online): 2319-7064
Index Copernicus Value (2015): 78.96 | Impact Factor (2015): 6.391
many challenges unique to underwater communication.
Especially, the significantly different characteristics of
communication in water require many networking
paradigms to be revisited.

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Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY
Paper ID: ART20172588 1665