OceanExplorer-a web-based tool for cable route planning and design

Abstract

The efficient, cost effective installation of marine telecommunications cables depends on accurate, reliable desktop studies that assist in the planning and facilitate the design of these vital routes for worldwide telecommunications. OceanExplorer, a tool developed and used by SAIC, generates a desktop study (DTS) that includes the route position-including associated site specific data (e.g., topographic, seismic, bathymetric, etc.)-and the cable engineering information necessary to initiate the cable design and installation process. It is desktop on-demand published and delivered on a web site. OceanExplorer's ability to refine elements of the initial desktop study as more site-specific information is identified makes it the ideal tool for the iterative process of route planning and cable design. SAIC has developed and is using OceanExplorer to conduct desktop studies for the telecommunications industry and government undersea cable projects. OceanExplorer also has significant potential application in the planning and design of pipeline routes for the oil and gas industry. OceanExplorer incorporates graphical displays of numerous site-specific elements that help determine the final position of the cable route. It automatically creates basemaps with global topography, seismicity, volcanism, coastlines, rivers, lakes, and political boundaries. It also can display global coverage for sediment thickness, crustal age and geological hazards.