The Acoustic Monitoring Project of the VENTS Program has performed continuous monitoring of ocean noise since August, 1991 using the U.S. Navy SOund SUrveillance System (SOSUS) network and autonomous underwater hydrophones.

Acoustics Research Groups:

Geophysics

Hydroacoustic monitoring allows the detection and precise location of small submarine earthquakes and volcanic activity.

Bioacoustics:

Underwater acoustic methods are being used to study the distribution of large whales in the open oceans.

Ocean Ambient Sound:

Studies on the cause and effect of ambient noise, both from natural and man-made sources, on marine ecosystems.

Highlights:

Undersea hydrophones captured the sounds of the March 11 Mw 9.0 earthquake that shook Japan and sent a tsunami wave across the Pacific Ocean. The hydrophones recorded the seismic and acoustic arrivals of the earthquake, known as P- and T-waves respectively.
3/11/2011

Results of NOAA Vents response expedition investigating earthquake swarms on Juan de Fuca plate and the Northern Gorda Ridge, offshore Oregon.
Previously unknown fault caused earthquake swarm off Oregon's coast
10/26/09

fin whale

PMEL Researches "Wind to Whales" in the Bering Sea February 2, 2010. In a study published January 30 in Geophysical Research Letters, described integrated biophysical data “from wind to whales” in the Southeast Bering Sea. 2/10/2010

NOAA Expedition Hears Endangered North Atlantic Right Whales off Greenland (NOAA News 5/28/2009)

Right Whales Return to Former Killing Ground
(National Geographic News 5/20/2009)