Two seafloor geophysical observatories have been installed in West Sea of Korea. Socheongcho Observatory has been installed at Socheong Reef, which is located at the northwest end of the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. It mainly consists of three ocean-bottom seismometers which form a small seismic array for efficient detection capabilities. The Gageocho Observatory is on the Gageo Reef, which is located at the southwest end of the Korean Peninsula. In order to reduce environmental noise from shallow water, the observatory was installed in a seafloor vault which was built by excavating bedrock. All geophysical data is transmitted to the Earthquake Research Center of KIGAM in real time through LTE networks. Earthquakes in and around the Korean Peninsula have been well recorded, and the recordings demonstrate the possibility and usefulness of seafloor monitoring even in shallow water and high tide conditions. With these observatories, the detection capacity of West Sea earthquakes has been improved, as has our understanding of the generation and propagation of elastic waves.
