What if the internet cables under our oceans could also detect earthquakes and monitor the sea?
That’s exactly what ECSTATIC partners at the University of West Attica just demonstrated using Microwave Frequency Fiber Interferometry (MFFI).
In a field test between the Greek islands of Cephalonia and Ithaca, they turned a 15.6 km submarine telecom cable into a real-time geophysical sensor.
Over two months, the system:
- Detected over 110 micro-earthquakes (as small as magnitude 1.5)
- Tracked tidal waves and daily temperature cycles
- Measured ocean surface waves driven by wind—clearly correlating wave activity with weather data
What’s most impressive? Their results matched those from traditional seismic stations and high-end DAS equipment—at a fraction of the cost.
Why it matters:
MFFI could transform the world’s undersea internet infrastructure into a global network of ocean and earthquake sensors—a scalable, low-cost solution for climate monitoring, early warning systems, and geophysical research.
The internet isn’t just connecting people—it might soon help protect them.
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