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How does the FLIP platform become stable enough for ocean research?

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The Floating Instrument Platform (FLIP) achieves its extreme stability through a unique design that transitions from a horizontal to a vertical orientation.12

While being towed to a research site, the 109-meter-long platform remains in a horizontal position. Once it reaches its destination, the platform's ballast tanks are flooded, causing it to tilt into an upright, vertical position. In this configuration, 92 meters of the structure are submerged, while only 17 meters remain above the waterline.12

This design ensures stability because the rise and fall of ocean waves cause only a very small change in the platform's displacement. By keeping the majority of its length underwater, FLIP is effectively decoupled from the surface motion of the waves, providing a stable base for oceanographic research.21