A New Model of Ocean Bottom Magnetometer

Abstract

A triaxial fluxgate magnetometer for use on the sea floor has been built and tested. This magnetometer, which is small and easy to handle, is housed in a pressure-tight glass sphere. The instrument is equipped with a timed release which enables free-fall installation and automatic recovery. Maximum period of measurement is 60 days with 3-minute samplings and the accuracy of the measurement is ±0.8nT. This corresponds to the error of ±1 least significant bit unavoidable in digital conversion using a 16-bit AD converter.