Unusual Corrosion of Instruments Deployed in the Deep Sea for Indian Tsunami Early Warning System

Abstract

Underwater technology is advancing with the development of instruments capable of measuring continuous data for longer durations for diversified ocean data collection. A bottom pressure recorder is deployed on the seabed to measure the water level for tsunami early warning, thus playing a critical role in saving lives. Recently, many countries have installed their warning systems. Here, we report an unusual corrosion of such an instrument deployed in the deep sea (3,250 m) in the Bay of Bengal, which led to severe damage of the instrument. This paper reports for the first time on the investigation and possible causes for this unusual corrosion of an instrument made from highly marine corrosion-resistant aluminum alloy and duplex stainless steel material.

An Electrochemist Perspective of Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion

“…It has been estimated that MIC constitutes about 20% of the total annual corrosion cost [3], although there has never been any real numbers presented to support this figure. Nevertheless, notable MIC-related cases include the 2006 Prudhoe Bay oil spill and the corrosion of deep-sea tsunami early warning systems [4]. A wide range of microorganisms has been associated with MIC, inducing protozoa, algae, archaeons, diatoms and fungi, but bacteria, especially sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB), have received the most attention because these are economically the most destructive [5].…”