Detection of submarines via satellite? Experiment hidden in plain sight?

Discussion in 'General Science & Technology' started by maddbiker, Mar 21, 2009.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. maddbiker Registered Member

    Messages:
    1
    I have a question for you, and would appreciate your feedback….

    Would a large military submarine, whilst travelling below the sea surface, affect the Earth's geoid, enabling an extremely sensitive satellite based gradiometer, to detect the anomaly caused by a submarine, in comparison to a high-resolution reference map of the geoid?

    The submarine would most probably be at neutral buoyancy, with depth adjusted via its control surfaces.

    Rune Floberghagen, Esa's GOCE (Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer satellite) mission manager explained the sensitivity of GOCE as follows: "Imagine a snowflake, which has a fraction of a gram, slowly falling down on to the deck of a super tanker. The acceleration that the super tanker experiences from that snowflake is comparable to the sensitivity of our instrument"

    Whilst the overall structure of the submarine would be neutral in buoyancy, there would be a large internal volume where the water will be 100% displaced by air, and thus have almost nil mass in comparison to the water surrounding it.

    What do you think?
     
  2. Google AdSense Guest Advertisement



    to hide all adverts.
  3. Oli Heute der Enteteich... Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    11,888
    If the sub is moving (you did state travelling): yes.
    Apparently it causes enough of "mark" on the surface to be detectable as the sea water is displaced round it.
    AFAIK this technology was initiated sometime around around the late 70s/ early 80s.
     
  4. Google AdSense Guest Advertisement



    to hide all adverts.
  5. Baron Max Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    23,053
    In a perfectly smooth, motion-free ocean, it's supposed to work. But when was the last time you saw the ocean perfectly smooth and free of waves and motion?

    Baron Max
     
  6. Google AdSense Guest Advertisement



    to hide all adverts.
  7. Oli Heute der Enteteich... Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    11,888
    I forget what the maximum sea state is that it's able to be used up to, but "perfectly smooth" isn't required.
    The damn thing is phenomenal.
     
  8. Baron Max Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    23,053
    I've read about that thing in several articles and it's only that "phenomenal" under laboratory conditions. The sea is full of things, planton, fish, whales, sharks, turtles, fish shit, whale shit, .............., and all of it gets in the way of that "phenomenal" results.

    Baron Max
     
  9. Oli Heute der Enteteich... Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    11,888
    Don't be silly.
    You don't think the military would field a weapon system that didn't actually work as well as promised, do you...

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page