Fiber Optic Cables Help Detect Undersea Earthquakes

Nov-30-19 Underwater fiber-optic cables could offer scientists a new way to detect and study underwater earthquakes.

The study into the use of the cables was carried out by researchers from California and Texas, who used a photonic device to transmit laser light down a cable located in Monterey Bay in a process called Distributed Acoustic Sensing. By measuring the backscatter of the light every 6.6 feet created by the cable stretching, the team was able to detect a 3.4 earthquake 28 miles inland. The team hopes to eventually utilize the dense network of fiber-optic cables around the world to create an affordable earthquake monitoring system.

Image - Nate Lindsey

More Info about this Invention:

[AAAS.ORG]
[NEWS.BERKELEY.EDU]

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