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Photonic Seismology

Emerging measurement tools have the potential to expand how we apply seismology to study and monitor Earth systems. Recent advancement in the field of photonics has led to novel sensing methods based on optical interferometry, including Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS), which is rapidly becoming a popular tool among seismological research groups worldwide. DAS enables Large-N array seismology in novel and unique spaces such as in boreholes, mines, underneath streets in urban areas and offshore. The main advantages of DAS for seismology include, but are not limited to, high-resolution, long spatial and temporal deployment of sensors, time-lapse repeatability and the unique opportunity to leverage existing fiber infrastructure such as telecommunication cables for geophysics. Because data acquired with DAS instruments contain information on the displacement gradient of a seismic wavefield (i.e., strain), there is a need to develop a fundamental theoretical framework to cope with this new data type. The high spatial resolution and broadband nature of DAS furthermore allows for new data analysis methods or the adaptation of existing Large-N methods to this new data type. This session will span a wide range of topics related to fiber-optic sensing methods in seismology and geophysics, including but not limited to: advancements in optical engineering; developments in theoretical and methodological aspects of fiber-optic sensing; case studies from ongoing fiber-optic sensing experiments worldwide; comparisons between non-inertial and inertial instruments; and insights gained from fiber-optic sensing measurements in the context of other types of seismological/geophysical datasets.

We invite contributions from research related to all aspects of photon-based sensing.

Conveners
Nathaniel J. Lindsey, University of California, Berkeley (natelindsey@berkeley.edu); Patrick Paitz, ETH Zurich (patrick.paitz@erdw.ethz.ch); Verónica Rodríguez Tribaldos, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (vrodrigueztribaldos@lbl.gov)

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