A new press release highlights how existing subsea optical communication fibers can be used to detect seismic activity across continents, without disrupting data transmission.
Researchers from the University of L’Aquila, Sparkle, University of Padova, and Nokia Germany demonstrated that earthquakes in Kamchatka could be detected through fibers in the Mediterranean Sea, revealing the extraordinary sensitivity of fibre-optic sensing at a global scale.
The study also reports early indications of a resonance precursor up to 20 days before a seismic event, offering exciting possibilities for future early-warning systems.
This innovative approach, presented at ECOC 2025, aligns closely with ECSTATIC’s vision to transform the world’s communication infrastructure into a distributed sensing network for environmental monitoring and resilience.
Who knew our internet cables were such keen seismologists? Detecting quakes halfway across the world from the Med? Talk about global internet speed! While Im thrilled about the potential for early warnings, 20 days out gives one ample time to finally finish that taxes paperwork. If only the fibers could predict my Wi-Fi dropping out… ECSTATICs vision of a sensing web is pretty exciting, though I hope it doesnt lead to every fiber complaining about the network load. Thanks, fiber optics, for keeping an ear (and a pulse) on the planet!