1. n. [Geophysics]

Typically an assembly of vertically oriented geophones and hydrophones connected by electrical wires and deployed on the seafloor to record and relay data to a seismic recording vessel. Such systems were originally introduced to enable surveying in areas of obstructions (such as production platforms) or shallow water inaccessible to ships towing seismic streamers (floating cables). Recent developments provide four component (4C) seabed systems to record shear wave (S-wave) as well as P-wave energy.

See related terms: acoustic positioning,  cable,  four-component seismic data,  geophone,  hydrophone,  S-wave,  streamer