Underwater data centres could be destroyed by loud noises

Technology

Underwater data centres being installed off the coasts of China, the US and Europe could be disrupted by sounds from military-grade sonar on ships and submarines, or even whales

By Jeremy Hsu

Researchers tested how sound affects computer hard drives in a metal enclosure submerged in a water tank

Adnan Abdullah

Some underwater data centres could be vulnerable to acoustic attacks as simple as a swimming pool speaker broadcasting a high musical note beneath the waves.

Companies have only recently begun deploying underwater data centres that can harness the ocean’s natural cooling to reduce electricity usage and carbon emissions. But experiments show computer hard drives placed within submerged metal containers can experience destructive vibrations when sounds are played underwater. Pressure amplifies these noises to…

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