Chapter 1018: Finding a Needle in the Sea (III)

Due to the special environment of marine archaeology, the researchers have reformed the underground metal detector, so that it can also play a role under the water, but the effect is much worse than using it on the ground.

In fact, this thing looks very simple, it is the tip of a metal stick, surrounded by a metal coil, will be pointed at the bottom of the sea when surveying, as long as there is the presence of metal below, they can hear the alarm in the headphones.

Of course, the error of this thing on the ground in about twenty percent, to the bottom of the sea error is even greater, and is not as magical as Zhuang Rui imagined.

After a diver heard Zhuang Rui’s question, he opened his mouth and retorted, “Mr. Zhuang, we probed an area of more than thirty meters, but we didn’t find anything, maybe the silt layer is too deep?”

“The sinking of the Awa Maru has been over half a century ago, after sixty to seventy years of seawater, it’s normal to accumulate more than ten meters of silt, the diver’s words made everyone nod slightly.

“Uh …… I do not blame you mean, I mean, after all, the specific location of the sinking of the Awa Maru, it has been difficult to grasp, and now also based on the last salvage site for the survey, I think we can expand the scope of the survey a little more, perhaps there will be some discoveries. ”

Zhuang Rui couldn’t say that the first location where the gold was hidden was more than two hundred meters away from the salvage ship, right? He couldn’t explain it either, and could only suggest expanding the scope of the divers’ search.

“Alas, I should have known that I should have prepared more fully and brought the side sonar device.”

Professor Meng sighed, turned his face to Zhuang Rui, and said, “Xiao Zhuang, this ship of yours is so advanced and is used for professional salvage, it wouldn’t have not been fitted with a side sonar system, right?”

“Teacher, there really isn’t one, otherwise so, the Maritime Bureau must have this object, urgently call over a set of it?”

Zhuang Rui smiled bitterly, Professor Meng said the side sonar system, also known as the “seabed scanning sonar” is the use of ultrasound in the water propagation and reflection of the principle of design and manufacture of a detection of the seabed geomorphology of the instrumentation device.

The seabed scanning sonar consists of a transmitter, a transducer, a receiver, a controller and a recorder.

When a transducer mounted on the probe to supply the electrical energy into acoustic energy, and a certain frequency of sound waves to the seabed when launched, the sound waves will be 1500 meters per second speed to the sea water spread rapidly, and to the intended direction of scattering.

When the sound wave reaches the bottom of the sea, because the geomorphology of the bottom of the sea is undulating and varied, therefore, a part of the sound wave corresponds to the shape, nature, and height of the reflection point of the distance, the formation of the strength of the wave speed is different from the wave speed of the reflection back in turn.

The improved undersea scanning sonar can have a special reaction to gold and silver substances, so this device is not only limited to marine geomorphology detection, but also can be used in deep sea archaeology.

However, Zhuang Rui has this pair of eyes, he has never thought of not being able to find objects in the sea, so pressed to the point of installing undersea scanning sonar system in this luxury salvage ship of his own.

Of course, this device is not omnipotent, it only reacts to the denser gold and silver substances, if the wreckage of the Awa Maru shipwreck is decomposing more, even if it is equipped with undersea scanning sonar, it is also useless.

“The bureau does have it, but it will take at least two days to transport it from Beijing.”

Director Wu agreed with Zhuang Rui’s opinion, anyway, all the expenses for this salvage, were borne by Zhuang Rui, he didn’t care if he stayed for a few more days.

Zhuang Rui nodded and said, “Teacher, Director Wu, I think we should still use the metal detector for detection while waiting for the sonar device, we can’t be idle, right?”

Zhuang Rui’s words made those several divers of the Maritime Bureau complained deeply, this dozens of meters of seawater dive down, but it is an extremely physically demanding thing, and long time for diving, for the chest and lung function will also have an impact, very easy to produce some occupational diseases.

There is high-tech not use, but also enslave them these divers, this brother a few of course not happy, but Zhuang Rui is the deputy commander-in-chief of the salvage operation, even if hang a name, but also not these staff they can object to.

“Well, Xiao Zhuang has a point, the following expand the search scope, and strive for early discovery.”

Playing the official voice, Wu Director that is naturally familiar, anyway, and do not want his old man to get into the water, immediately nodded his head and agreed with Zhuang Rui’s opinion.

Professor Meng returned to the salvage site more than twenty years ago, naturally want to find the wreckage of the Awa Maru as soon as possible, also nodded and said, “Hard work everyone, more than twenty years ago, the coordinates, surely there will be some changes, everyone will expand the search range to about one hundred meters!”

Several leaders had spoken, those few divers, although reluctant, still re-wore their diving suits, but what shocked them was that Zhuang Rui actually asked for a set of diving equipment as well, and wore it there.

Prof. Meng also saw Zhuang Rui’s move at this time, some surprised to ask: “Xiao Zhuang, you …… what is this doing ah?”

Diving is something that requires professional training, especially deep sea diving, the water pressure under tens of meters is enough to kill people without diving experience, so Professor Meng was puzzled by Zhuang Rui’s behavior.

“Teacher, I have experience in salvaging Song Dynasty shipwrecks, and I have a better understanding of how ships behave at the bottom of the sea, so it’s better to go down together and take a look!” Zhuang Rui casually made an excuse.

“Hey, Xiao Zhuang, this diving can only be done by professionals, don’t fool around.”

Although Zhuang Rui’s courage is commendable and his behavior is commendable, this is not something to fool around with, especially since the bottom of the sea is so variable, there is always the possibility of encountering danger.

“Teacher, it’s fine, when I was looking for the pirate island, I was able to dive twenty to thirty meters deep with my bare hands, this sea is only more than forty meters, no problem at all.”

Zhuang Rui smiled at his words, now the record of time unarmed dive seems to be 105 meters, with Zhuang Rui’s physique, not dare to say that it exceeds this record, but it is only a depth of thirty or forty meters, it is not challenging at all for Zhuang Rui.

Not to mention the decompression effect of the diving suit and a series of diving equipment, Zhuang Rui really want to go to the bottom of the sea to see the scenery, not to mention that if he doesn’t go down, then I’m afraid that he really have to wait for two days in the sea for nothing.

“Okay! Then you be more careful and come back immediately if you feel any discomfort at the bottom of the sea.”

Prof. Meng remembered those things Zhuang Rui did at sea, there was no doubt about his words, and he didn’t say anything more at that moment, after all, there was an experienced archaeologist accompanying the survey, and the chances of finding the shipwreck would be much higher.

See Zhuang Rui this deputy commander and they dive survey, a few divers did not complain, in Zhuang Rui put on a good diving suit, teach Zhuang Rui to use the propeller method.

The one they used was a single propeller, which could accelerate the speed of diving, and this object was very good to operate, after Zhuang Rui listened to it once, he knew almost everything.

“Hubby, you have to be careful!”

Qin Xuan Bing also heard the news that Zhuang Rui was going to go down to the sea, and ran over with Fang Fang Yuan Yuan, yesterday’s storm that raged for half a night really made Qin Xuan Bing a little scared.

“Ahem, how big ah! Wife, the scenery of the seabed is very beautiful, or …… we go down together?”

Zhuang Rui full of care words, immediately let the deck fell a floor glasses, just thought Zhuang Rui sentiment noble, who knows this buddy is to the bottom of the sea excursion style to go ah? And go by himself is not enough, actually want to bring his wife together?

“Brat, this will still joke.” Prof. Meng smiled and scolded Zhuang Rui, only then did the crowd react, dare Zhuang Rui this is to not let his wife worry ah?

Knowing that Zhuang Rui is joking, Qin Xuan Bing is not very nervous, and instructed Zhuang Rui a few sentences, saw Zhuang Rui down the spiral staircase.

In fact, to say that the scenery, this close to the coastline of the sea, really not good, and that will be compared to the pirate island, is simply a world of difference, on water quality, there is no comparison between the two.

With the propeller down to the sea water, Zhuang Rui the whole person grasped the handle on the propeller, after turning it on, the propeller at the end of the propeller turned, taking Zhuang Rui to the bottom of the sea to sink.

With an oxygen tank on his back, an oxygen mask on his face, and an intercom in his ear, Zhuang Rui didn’t have any uncomfortable reaction except for a slight coolness when he went down to a depth of more than 20 meters of water, which made the people on the ship guarding the monitors breathe a sigh of relief.

From the surface of the ocean to a depth of 200 meters, in the terminology is called the upper layer of the ocean, in this range, the sun can penetrate the seawater, from 200 meters to 1,000 meters of the water layer, called the middle layer of the ocean, where the sunlight can not be all through the seawater, the light is very weak, the seawater is a gray-blue.

From 1,000 meters to 4,000 meters of water layer, called the semi-abyssal layer, here can not detect a little sunlight, is a dark dark world.

While Zhuang Rui and the others only dived to a depth of forty meters, after reaching the bottom of the sea, even if they didn’t need to turn on the strong lights, they could clearly see the surface of the seabed, but out of prudence, as soon as a few people got to the bottom of the sea, they turned on the big lights on the thrusters.

“Each person is responsible for a range of fifty meters, immediately dive up when you feel there is not enough oxygen.”

After seeing Zhuang Rui and the other five people go down to the bottom of the sea, the dive conductor who was monitoring from above gave an order to the several people, due to the fact that the consumption of oxygen in the compressed air bottles that each person was carrying was decided based on the depth of the water pressure and other various reasons.

Although the several people used large bottles, but at the bottom of the sea at forty meters, at most it could only last for an hour or so, and at the bottom of the sea oxygen depletion, taking over naturally was needless to say.

“Understood.”

After taking the lead and agreeing, Zhuang Rui made a gesture to the remaining few to indicate the direction he was going to conduct the survey, and then used the thrusters to steer and swam towards his target.

With the help of the thrusters, it saved Zhuang Rui quite a bit of time, and after just a few minutes had passed, he arrived at a place about 200 meters away from the cruise ship.