Many major earthquakes such as the 1944 Tonankai earthquake have occurred in Muroto Cape(Kochi Prefecture) waters and neighboring waters due to the collision of the Philippine Sea plate and the Eurasia Plate, making the area known as waters where diastrophism is active below the seabed.
In March 1997, JAMSTEC made and installed in waters off Muroto Cape the the integrated observation system for long-term and continuous observation of phenomena of seafloor changes and sea floor environmental changes.
The system primarily consists of 2 ocean bottom seismometers (OBS), 2 pressure gauge (PG) of tsunami sensors, and 2 cable-end stations.
Configuration
| Equipment | Note |
| Cable-End Station |
-- Approx. 110 km offshore, water depth of approx. 3,600 m -- Video Camera -- Underground Thermometer -- Current Meter -- ADCP -- CTD |
| Seismometer (OBS1) Tsunami Sensor (PG1) |
Approx. 100 km offshore, water depth of approx. 2,200 m |
| Seismometer (OBS2) Tsunami Sensor (PG2) |
Approx. 70 km offshore, water depth of approx. 1,400 m |
| Muroto Land Station | Transmission of observation data to JAMSTEC |
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