Researchers have made a significant leap in disaster detection by employing standard internet cables as sensitive earthquake sensors. Leveraging distributed acoustic sensing (DAS), scientists can now pick up tiny seismic movements using fiber optic networks once reserved only for telecommunications traffic.
This breakthrough has the potential to give early warnings and save lives before devastating tremors reach populated areas.
Traditional earthquake monitoring systems depend heavily on land-based seismometers, which struggle to sense offshore activity or provide rapid warnings.
The new fiber optic approach works by sending laser pulses through telecom cables and measuring tiny changes in light that result from shaking or stretching, effectively transforming the cables into dense networks of detectors.
How do telecom cables detect earthquakes?
Distributed acoustic sensing technology fires laser pulses down fiber cables and analyzes the way returning light patterns change when the cable is bent or vibrated.
This process can reveal ground movement along the cable’s route, enabling location, magnitude, and rupture direction to be tracked in near real time.
The system has proven especially effective for offshore or hard-to-access regions where traditional sensors are sparse.
The technology has already monitored earthquakes and even volcanic activity in remote regions.
Icelandic authorities, for example, are using DAS to supplement early warnings for volcanic eruptions and seismic events as they happen.
Did you know?
More than 10 million kilometers of global fiber optic cable could someday become the largest earthquake sensing network ever deployed.
What did the Mendocino earthquake study reveal?
The landmark study published in Science involved observing the 2024 Mendocino earthquake off California’s coast using fiber optic cables and DAS devices installed at sites like the Arcata Police Station.
Researchers accurately imaged the earthquake’s magnitude, origin, and rupture path, something previously impossible with conventional land sensors for such large, offshore quakes.
This is the first time scientists have tracked a significant earthquake’s rupture process using telecom cables, marking a major step toward better preparedness for major disasters.
Can fiber optics close earthquake blind spots?
Water covers over 70% of our planet's surface, leaving large gaps where seismometers cannot detect underwater quakes that can trigger tsunamis. Fiber optic networks span ocean floors, providing new access for rapid sensing in regions that were previously unreachable.
By linking these cables with AI-assisted analysis, researchers hope to spot tremors and warn coastal areas before tsunami waves reach land.
UC Santa Cruz and University of Washington teams have piloted methods to amplify weak earthquake signals, making faint quakes visible to computers even when hidden in noise.
Early results suggest alerts can reach affected areas seconds to tens of seconds sooner than existing systems.
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What new advances have enabled cable sensing?
Beyond DAS, recent innovations include AI algorithms capable of identifying seismic signals buried in background noise more than twice as effectively as older tools.
In May 2024, University of Washington scientists maintained full internet access while simultaneously running earthquake detection tests on active telecom lines.
Alaska and Iceland now have operational fiber seismic sensors that detect tremors in real time. This technology is also being tested for use alongside the U.S. ShakeAlert system.
What challenges remain for widespread adoption?
Despite the promise, fiber optic systems for detecting earthquakes face obstacles before becoming mainstream. Telecom companies have concerns about infrastructure use and privacy, while regulations balancing commercial interests and safety benefits remain incomplete.
Current DAS systems can sense quakes up to about 90 miles offshore, but integration with legacy networks and global scaling will require continued research and policy support. Nevertheless, experts rate the potential impact as enormous.
Transforming millions of kilometers of global telecommunications cable may lead to the largest, densest earthquake detector in history, helping save lives by revolutionizing how the world monitors and responds to natural disasters.
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