Seafloor Cable–Based Sensing Revolutionising Ocean Monitoring

Whilst the oceans account for over 70% of Earth’s surface, they remain largely unmonitored. However, recent pioneering research led by the National Physical Laboratory in the UK has shown that the existing subsea telecommunication cable infrastructure could be used as an array of sensors to start filling the huge data gap from the oceans. The primary goal of this project is to demonstrate subsea cables potential for earthquake and tsunami detection in offshore areas not reached by the seismic network on land. The experiments will take place in the Tasman Sea, an ideal testing ground due to its high seismic activity. This technique could transform environmental monitoring of the ocean, providing unprecedented insights into Earth’s dynamic processes and advancing research in earthquake detection and ocean circulation. This collaboration with UK researchers is being led by Te Whai Ao — Dodd-Walls Centre Associate Investigator Dr Johan Grand of the Measurement Standards Laboratory, together with Giuseppe Marra and Max Tamussino of the UK’s National Physical Laboratory (NPL).