Internet cables can help with disaster warnings.

Internet cables are gradually becoming important seismic sensors, not only on land but also underwater and possibly even on the moon.

The current internet cable system spans millions of kilometers (km) globally, including approximately 1.5 million km of underwater cables. As older cables are brought to the surface and new ones are installed, scientists are increasingly using them to monitor natural hazards such as earthquakes, volcanic activity, and floods.

Underwater cables are no longer solely responsible for transmitting internet data.

PHOTO: REUTERS

Dispersive acoustic sensors (DAS) use laser pulses to detect even the slightest changes in vibration, deformation, and movement of the ground and water. Unlike traditional seismometers that only measure at a single point, fiber optics can act as a continuous sensor over a large area, collecting real-time data with high resolution. A prime example is the eruption of Mount Grindavík in Iceland, where this system provided a 26-minute warning, allowing residents time to evacuate.

Research from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) shows the power of this monitoring system, demonstrating that a 100km stretch of fiber optic cable can collect data equivalent to that of 10,000 traditional seismometers. Notably, the DAS system is significantly cheaper than traditional systems, requiring only a single signal reader costing approximately $200,000, compared to 700 seismometers (each costing $50,000) needed to measure seismic activity in California.

It's not limited to just internet cables on Earth.

In the Canary Islands, researchers have transformed an underwater telecommunications cable into 11,968 strain sensors, enabling the detection of local earthquakes and seismic waves from earthquakes thousands of kilometers away. This technology is also being considered for detecting earthquakes on the moon. Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory (USA) propose laying fiber optic cables on the lunar surface, potentially eliminating the need for underground burial.

Although the moon lacks tectonic plates like Earth , earthquakes can still occur there due to Earth 's gravity and meteorite impacts. The lunar surface also experiences extreme temperature fluctuations, ranging from around -246 degrees Celsius at night to around 121 degrees Celsius during the day, contributing to seismic activity.

Understanding seismic activity on the Moon could help scientists discover more about the natural satellite's internal structure, from density to composition and fluid potential. If faults are detected, it could indicate that the Moon has more geological activity than previously thought. Additional seismic data could provide new insights into the Moon 's formation process.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/cap-internet-co-the-giup-canh-bao-thien-tai-185260522002441941.htm