Wed, March 19, 2025
Tue, March 18, 2025
[ Tue, Mar 18th 2025 ]: Bisnow
Bay Area Life Sciences Conference
Mon, March 17, 2025
Sun, March 16, 2025

A New Way To Detect Pacific Earthquakes Using Deep-Sea Cables Shows Groundbreaking Results

A groundbreaking study has demonstrated a novel method for detecting earthquakes in the Pacific Ocean by utilizing existing deep-sea fiber optic cables. Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) have repurposed these cables, originally laid for telecommunications, to sense seismic activity through a technique known as Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS). This approach involves sending laser pulses down the fiber optic lines and analyzing the backscatter to detect minute changes in the cable's environment, effectively turning the cables into thousands of seismic sensors. The study, published in Nature, showcased the system's ability to record the 2021 magnitude 6.0 earthquake off the coast of Eureka, California, with unprecedented detail, capturing not only the main shock but also the aftershocks and even the ocean's ambient noise. This innovative use of infrastructure could significantly enhance our ability to monitor seismic activity in real-time, potentially improving early warning systems for tsunamis and other seismic events.

Read the Full IFLScience Article at:
[ https://www.iflscience.com/a-new-way-to-detect-pacific-earthquakes-using-deep-sea-cables-shows-groundbreaking-results-78451 ]