A glass thread strung along the bottom of a fjord captured the entire process of calving, from the cracking of ice to the breakup of bergs.
distributed acoustic sensing (DAS)
How Flexible Enhanced Geothermal Systems Control Their Own Seismicity
A new study maps how microseismicity waxes and wanes with pressure in enhanced geothermal systems, offering a template for managing quakes in future heat-mining projects.
Listening to Earth’s Subsurface with Distributed Acoustic Sensing
A new book examines how fiber-optic cables installed in boreholes can monitor seismic activity, fluid flow, subsurface temperatures, and more.
Fiber-Optic Cables Used to Measure Changing Soil Moisture
Scientists are using seismic techniques to measure soil moisture. Their results show that recent droughts in California depleted water in the shallow subsurface.
Telecom Fibers Are Sensing Earthquake Hazards in Istanbul
A fiber-optic cable below Türkiye’s earthquake-prone metropolis is offering new details about how seismic waves will rattle the city—and demonstrating the potential of a bigger monitoring effort.
Fiber-Optic Networks Could Reveal the Moon’s Inner Structure
Distributed acoustic sensing offers a cost-effective alternative to traditional seismic arrays, and building such a network on the Moon might be possible.
Thunderquakes Map the Subsurface
Researchers have figured out how rumbling thunder turns to seismic waves and how this shaking could be used to reveal subsurface geology.
Internet Cable Reveals the Source of Underwater Vibrations
A novel use of an existing fiber-optic cable off the coast of Spain has clued scientists in to how seismic noise is generated in the ocean.
Distributed Sensing and Machine Learning Hone Seismic Listening
Fiber-optic cables can provide a wealth of detailed data on subsurface vibrations from a wide range of sources. Machine learning offers a means to make sense of it all.