Turning a Telecom Fiber-Optic Cable into an Ultradense Seismic Array for Rapid Postearthquake Response in an Urban Area

Abstract

Abstract Aftershock-monitoring networks deployed in the epicentral area of a damaging earthquake play important roles in earthquake early warning and ShakeMap estimation, which contribute to hazard mitigation. Using distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) technology with dark fiber can significantly reduce deployment time and cost, and improve spatial sampling, both of which help capture more aftershocks. In this study, we used a 7.6 km dark fiber in Tangshan, China, to monitor seismicity after the 12 July 2020 Ms 5.1 earthquake. The DAS array detected dozens of earthquakes missed by the local permanent network that doubled the number of aftershocks. The relocated aftershocks are distributed mainly north of the DAS array, and the ground-motion pattern changes also hint small-scale features. Our successful results demonstrate the feasibility of using DAS and dark fiber for rapid postearthquake response.