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On the Sensitivity of Optical Polarization Transoceanic Cables to Seismic and Water Waves

Session: Fiber-Optic Seismology II

Type: Oral

Date: 4/23/2021

Presentation Time: 02:30 PM Pacific

Description: 

Over the last couple of years, fiber-optic sensing systems have emerged as a promising technology for real-time earthquake and tsunami hazard assessment. In a recent investigation, Zhan et al. (2021) showed that by monitoring the polarization of regular telecommunication traffic, a 10,000 km long submarine cable that connects Los Angeles, California, and Valparaiso, Chile, could be used to detect passing seismic and oceanic waves. In this work, we use light-polarization data from the same submarine cable to probe the sensitivity of this type of instrumentation to both elastic and pressure waves. For the above matter, we use fully-coupled 3D wavefield simulations to calculate the multidimensional strain along the cable. We then compare these estimations with several of the earthquake recordings to draw inferences on the type of deformation that dominates the state of polarization of the instrument. We also combine seismic recordings of water waves generated by distant storms to map the different sections of the cable that are most sensitive to pressure changes in the water column. The understanding of the capabilities and limitations of submarine telecommunication cables to seismic monitoring is crucial as they hold the enormous potential of becoming standardized real-time earthquake and tsunami observatories on a global scale.

Presenting Author: Jorge C. Castellanos

Student Presenter: Yes

Authors