Underwater fiber optic cables span the globe, providing telecommunication services in the blink of an eye. They transmit photons of light from one side to another, which are sometimes reflected back. Scientists have found that returning photons can be used to measure passing acoustic and seismic waves, as well as other small stresses, which can help provide a picture of earthquake activity
Through a process known as distributed acoustic sensing, scientists have experimented with optic cables to measure seismic activity for about a decade. Brad Lipovsky is an assistant professor at the University of Washington. He and a team of scientists began conducting research with Cook Inlet’s fiber optic cables last summer.
“We can observe marine mammals that make acoustic vocalizations, we can also observe the seismic waves of earthquakes that pass through the area,” Lipovsky said.