4. SEAMOUNT STATION 
A natural evolution and extension of the Fixed Continental Shelf Laboratory will be a Seamount 
Station permanently fixed on a submerged seamount at a depth less than 2,000 feet. The station, 
capable of supporting a crew of from 10 to 50 men for long periods, will receive power from a nearby 
nuclear reactor. 
Because of its size and cost, it is anticipated that the Seamount Station will be funded by the U.S. 
Government and will be available to other Federal agencies, universities and private industry. Located 
on a seamount such as the Cobb off the State of Washington, it can serve as a traffic and weather 
monitoring station. It also will provide an ideal station for taking geophysical data and the operational 
testing of broad ocean surveillance and data collection systems. 
Many tasks and experiments would be programmed for the Seamount Station. One task of 
considerable interest is the establishment of a secondary station tunneled into the bedrock below to 
provide additional living space and work area. The tunneled area could provide lock-out facilities for 
both divers and submerged vehicles. Experience gained in tunneling will provide technology of value to 
subsea petroleum and mineral production. 
NATIONAL PROJECT 
4. Seamount Station 
Fundamental Technology Subsystem and Component Development 
Open ocean 
— Fish surveys 
— Attraction techniques 
— Upwelling 
Group interactions 
Long range communications Diver installed transducers 
Information handling Cable laying and protection 
Environmental data acquisition Ship and submarine tracking 
Soil mechanics Geophysical activity measurements 
Data transmission 
Nuclear plant at depth to support deeper stations 
plus 
Continuance of fundamental technology listed 
under Fixed and Portable Continental Shelf Labora- 
tories 
Tsunami measurements 
Submerged tunneling 
Expected Benefits Operational Systems 
Ocean weather station 
Legal and Political 
Improve knowledge and confidence for inter- 
national negotiations on legal status of seamounts 
Scientific 
— Tsunami warning system 
— Mid ocean tide measurements 
— Insitu laboratory 
Ocean surveillance station 
Command and control station 
Undersea broad ocean support site 
Military 
— Generally improved undersea capability 
— Extended sea power 
— Improved broad ocean surveillance 
— Broadened ocean support independent 
of surface 
VI-230 
