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Difficulty: Very hardStrengthening Arguments

Telecommunication firms operating subsea fiber-optic cables currently rely on annual physical inspections by diving teams to detect outer armoring degradation. However, divers can only safely inspect shallow-water segments near coastal landings, leaving deep-sea stretches unexamined. To decrease catastrophic cable ruptures, a major operator plans to replace diving inspections with automated acoustic monitoring. This system emits continuous sonar pulses along the cable's internal core, detecting structural micro-fractures in the outer armoring across its entire length. The operator claims that implementing this technology will reduce the overall number of unexpected cable ruptures.

Which of the following, if true, provides the strongest support for the telecommunication operator's claim?

  1. A
    Physical diving inspections near coastal landings frequently identify biological encrustations that acoustic pulses cannot detect but which cause rapid corrosion if unaddressed.
  2. A significant majority of deep-sea cable ruptures originate from gradual micro-fracturing of the outer armoring rather than sudden events such as undersea landslides.Answer
  3. C
    The financial expenditure required to repair a severed subsea cable in deep water far exceeds the operating budget allocated for annual shallow-water diving inspections.
  4. D
    Automated acoustic monitoring systems consume far less auxiliary power than the marine surface vessels deployed during physical diving operations.
  5. E
    In controlled shallow-water trials, acoustic pulse monitoring identified outer armoring defects with higher consistency than diver inspections on short test cables.

Answer

The argument is most strengthened by establishing that a significant majority of deep-sea cable ruptures originate from gradual micro-fracturing of the outer armoring rather than sudden events such as undersea landslides.
The correct answer provides critical support by establishing that the primary cause of deep-sea cable ruptures is gradual micro-fracturing of the armoring. Because the acoustic monitoring system is specifically designed to detect micro-fractures along the entire cable length, proving that deep-sea failures stem from this specific defect confirms that expanding monitoring to deep waters will successfully detect impending failures and reduce overall ruptures.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Deconstruct the argument into premise and conclusion.
Premise: Divers only inspect shallow waters; acoustic monitoring continuously monitors micro-fractures along the entire cable including deep-sea stretches. Conclusion: Replacing divers with acoustic monitoring will reduce overall unexpected cable ruptures.
Understanding the logical jump from premise to conclusion reveals the gap in the author's reasoning.
2
Identify the logical vulnerability/assumption in the argument.
The argument assumes that deep-sea ruptures are actually caused by micro-fractures (which the new system detects) and that monitoring deep water will yield actionable warnings before catastrophic failures occur.
If deep-sea ruptures are caused by sudden unpredictable events (like landslides) rather than micro-fractures, monitoring micro-fractures won't prevent those deep-sea failures.
3
Evaluate choices for the option that bridges this logical gap.
Confirming that deep-sea ruptures primarily stem from gradual micro-fractures directly links the capabilities of the acoustic technology to the stated goal of reducing total ruptures.
Validating this key assumption strengthens the causal link between implementing the monitoring system and preventing ruptures.

Key Concept

Strengthening Arguments via Assumption Confirmation
Estimated Time:2m 0s
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Strengthening Arguments

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