Fiber-optic seismology in urban environments

Please join us for our next Monday departmental seminar on the 6th of December from 15:00 to 16:00 at the Porter Auditorium

https://tau-ac-il.zoom.us/j/83229921170

Dr. Ariel Lellouch, TAU

Fiber-optic seismology in urban environments

 ABSTRACT

During the last decade, seismic sensing through optical fibers has become a reality. State-of-the-art Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) now offers a 1-meter sensor resolution for tens of kilometers of fiber. As DAS can be used over existing telecommunication infrastructure, there is no need for dedicated sensor deployment. After a brief introduction of the basic principles of this technology and its advantages over standard seismic sensors, I will show its various applications in urban and suburban environments. Among others, we can track individual vehicles traveling along the fiber, measure their velocity, and coarsely classify them by weight. Seismic waves generated by vehicles, as well as ambient noise, can be utilized to reconstruct the near-surface structure, which is important for engineering and construction. Finally, I will show an earthquake recorded over the fiber during rush hour and discuss the potential applications in building safety and early warning systems.