The pioneering project, which will, for the first time, place an infrastructure for studying the ocean floor on a submarine cable, already has an information page created by GÉANT.
“Seismology, volcanology, marine ecology and ocean conditions are essential to understanding the future of our planet”. The phrase frames the relevance of the Ella Link GeoLab project and can be found in information page created by GÉANT to publicize the project.
At the same address, it is possible find more information about this infrastructure, as well as explanatory multimedia materials as a video presentation of the project. It is also possible to understand, using infographics, the role of the National Scientific Computing Unit (FCCN) that will “receive” data coming from South America, before distribution to the rest of Europe.
The EllaLink cable will cross the Atlantic Ocean, connecting Portugal and Brazil (with planned branches and extensions to Madeira, Cape Verde, the Canary Islands, French Guiana, and Mauritania). This route, explains GÉANT, “offers an excellent opportunity for the use of advanced technologies,” not only to monitor threats to the cable itself, but also “to secure valuable data on the ocean environment”.
By incorporating technologies such as DAS (Distributed Acoustic Sensing), the submarine cable will be "transformed" into a sensor, making it possible to monitor threats to the EllaLink cable, such as anchor drops or trawling. Regarding environmental analysis, it will be possible to obtain data on ocean currents, rock slides or marine mammal activities, for example.
The Ella Link GeoLab is an initiative of the Ella Link Group and EMACOM – Madeira Telecomunications. "[This project] opens new opportunities for planetary observational science," emphasizes GÉANT's Research Engagement Officer, Chris Atherton, before concluding: “We are excited about the opportunity this represents for science and, ultimately, for its contribution to understanding the planet we live on.”.
What is EllaLink GeoLab?
In June 2020, the EllaLink Group and EMACOM – Madeira Telecomunicações announced the creation of a infrastructure dedicated to sending real-time data on seabed conditions – the “EllaLink Geo Lab”.
