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Sensor Monitoring and Reliable Telecommunications (SMART) Cables: Integration of Environmental Sensors Into Submarine Telecommunications Cables for Improved Tsunami Science and Response

Description: 

Innovative deep ocean monitoring technologies are crucial to catalyzing fundamental improvements in mitigating natural disasters, reducing human vulnerabilities, and determining environmental threats. An attractive but untapped resource is the global submarine fiber optic cable network, which carries over 95% of international internet traffic. Key components of undersea fiber optic cable systems are repeaters, which are placed every 60-100 km along the cable to provide optical signal amplification. Integrating environmental sensors into these repeaters could enable real-time data collection for environmental and infrastructure threat reduction, natural disaster mitigation, cable system monitoring, and new scientific discoveries.

In its original form, the SMART Cable concept (J. You, Nature, 2010) advocated that seismic, pressure, and temperature sensors should be integrated into submarine fiber cables, leveraging power and communications from the repeater. Despite significant advocacy from a broad range of the scientific community, no commercial supplier came forward to allocate the resources to produce a SMART repeater.

Recognizing the potential for SMART Cables to revolutionize the utility of submarine fiber cables and transform an industry, Subsea Data Systems was formed to catalyze the rapid development of SMART repeater sensor systems. Leveraging NSF SBIR funding, we developed a fully operational benchtop prototype SMART repeater sensor system in ~6 months. Our system comprises a Silicon Audio 3-axis high-resolution, low-noise broadband seismometer, a Paroscientific absolute pressure gauge, and a Sea-Bird glass coated thermistor. The system is currently streaming real-time data to the NSF’s SAGE facility.

In this presentation, we will discuss the utility of SMART Cables as a unique technology that will improve tsunami science and significantly enhance tsunami monitoring and response. We will also discuss the first comprehensive SMART Cable system (CAM: Continent - Azores - Madeira) currently being developed by Portugal to be ready for service by 2026.

Session: The Future of Tsunami Science, Preparedness and Response

Type: Oral

Date: 4/19/2023

Presentation Time: 05:00 PM (local time)

Presenting Author: Matthew J. Fouch

Student Presenter: No

Invited Presentation: 

Authors