Groundbreaking research: Turning sea optic cables into earthquake detection systems

The researchers propose to use existing undersea optical fiber cables as a seismic detection tool.

The first results are particularly encouraging when a team of researchers from Rice University and the University of California have just published in Nature magazine how to easily set up underwater seismic detection networks with just fiber optic cable for internet transmission. under the sea.

Monitoring seismic activity is a complex task because detectors are needed everywhere. So far, oceans and seas (accounting for two-thirds of the globe) have never been equipped with seismic detectors because seismometers are accurate instruments that are difficult to install and maintain under kilometers of water, so no sea bed monitoring system has been set up yet.

But US researchers recently ended this problem by demonstrating how to convert an existing undersea optical fiber into a seismic network, providing an unprecedented view of all motion. tectonic of the Earth. More importantly, we will not need to try to install new devices, but just take advantage of the existing offshore cables that people use when connected to the internet.

The principle is that fiber sends digital data as light. Light can be scattered or deformed if the cable moves or changes direction. By monitoring this phenomenon, we can know where the cable bends and how many nanometers is accurate. Even this is more effective than a good seismometer on the old ground.

On top of that, there is no need to add a device along the length of the cable when we only need to connect the seismic detector to the end of the cable as Nathaniel Lindsey, lead author of the study commented.

When the tests are complete, the new system will be applied to undersea optical fiber cables, effectively eliminating critical blind spots in the ocean.

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