Towed seismic node

1. A seismic apparatus comprising:

a rope deployable in a water column and configured to be towed;

one or more seismic nodes coupled to the rope, wherein each of the one or more seismic nodes is disposed in a respective hydrodynamic body, wherein each of the one or more seismic nodes comprises a respective seismic sensor configured for sampling seismic energy in the water column;

a deployment system comprising a winch configured for deploying the rope and a magazine configured for storing the one or more seismic nodes, wherein each of the one or more seismic nodes is coupled to the rope at a respective selected position for deployment into the water column; and

an automated coupling mechanism adapted to couple the one or more seismic nodes to the rope according to a database of predefined configurations determining deployment of the one or more seismic nodes in different preselected positions along the rope.

2. The seismic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the respective hydrodynamic body provides different horizontal and vertical profiles adapted to preferentially capture acoustic or seismic energy propagating in a vertical direction with respect to acoustic or seismic energy propagating in a horizontal direction.

3. The seismic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the rope comprises a passive strength component configured for to tow the one or more seismic nodes through the water column, absent power or data communications between the rope and the one or more seismic nodes.

4. The seismic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more seismic nodes comprise one or more steering nodes each having a respective controller configured to actuate respective control surfaces for positioning the one or more seismic nodes with respect to the water column.

5. The seismic apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the one or more seismic nodes comprise a control node configured to communicate navigational data to the one or more steering nodes, the navigational data configured to determine the positioning of the one or more steering nodes when towed through the water column along the rope.

6. A seismic sensor system comprising:

a seismic node having a hydrodynamic body with a seismic sensor; and a coupling between the seismic node and a rope, wherein the seismic node comprises an autonomous node having a power source, a clock, and memory for storing seismic data, wherein the rope comprises a passive strength component configured for towing the autonomous node through a water column absent power or data line communication between the rope and the seismic node;

wherein the seismic sensor is configured for sampling seismic energy when the seismic node is deployed to the water column along the rope.

7. The seismic sensor system of claim 6 , wherein the hydrodynamic body has different horizontal and vertical profiles configured to preferentially capture acoustic energy propagating in a vertical direction through the water column with respect to acoustic energy propagating in a corresponding horizontal direction.

8. The seismic sensor system of claim 6 , further comprising one or more active or passive control surfaces for positioning the seismic node when deployed to the water column along the rope.

9. The seismic sensor system of claim 8 , further comprising a navigational system configured to generate navigational data representative of the positioning of the seismic node by the one or more active or passive control surfaces.

10. The seismic sensor system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more active or passive control surfaces are active and further comprising a controller configured to actuate the one or more active control surfaces to position the seismic sensor system with respect to the water column.

11. The seismic sensor system of claim 10 , further comprising a transceiver configured for communicating navigational data with the controller, wherein the navigational data describes the position of the seismic sensor when towed through the water column along the rope.

12. The seismic sensor system of claim 6 , wherein the seismic sensor is spaced from the water column within the seismic node and further comprising one or more acoustic channels extending from the seismic sensor to the water column.

13. The seismic sensor system of claim 6 , further comprising a passage in the seismic node adapted to engage the rope extending axially therethrough, wherein the coupling is configured to exert a net towing force oriented substantially along the rope extending through the passage.

14. A seismic sensor system comprising:

a seismic node comprising:

a hydrodynamic body with a seismic sensor, and

a coupling between the seismic node and a rope, wherein the seismic sensor is configured for sampling seismic energy when the seismic node is deployed to a water column along the rope; and

one or more active or passive control surfaces for positioning the seismic node when deployed to the water column along the rope.

15. The seismic sensor system of claim 14 , wherein the hydrodynamic body has different horizontal and vertical profiles configured to preferentially capture acoustic energy propagating in a vertical direction through the water column with respect to acoustic energy propagating in a corresponding horizontal direction.

16. The seismic sensor system of claim 14 , further comprising a navigational system configured to generate navigational data representative of the positioning of the seismic node by the one or more active or passive control surfaces.

17. The seismic sensor system of claim 14 , wherein the seismic sensor is spaced from the water column within the seismic node and further comprising one or more acoustic channels extending from the seismic sensor to the water column.

18. The seismic sensor system of claim 14 , further comprising a passage in the seismic node adapted to engage the rope extending axially therethrough, wherein the coupling is configured to exert a net towing force oriented substantially along the rope extending through the passage.

19. The seismic sensor system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more active or passive control surfaces are active and further comprising a controller configured to actuate the one or more active control surfaces to position the seismic sensor system with respect to the water column.

20. The seismic sensor system of claim 19 , further comprising a transceiver configured for communicating navigational data with the controller, wherein the navigational data describe the position of the seismic sensor when towed through the water column along the rope.