Monitoring seismic activity is crucial for understanding and predicting the movements of Earth’s tectonic plates that cause earthquakes. Both well-established traditional technologies and modern innovative methods are used to track seismic activity, aiming to reduce risks and enhance population preparedness for natural disasters.
Traditional scientific methods for monitoring the movement of Earth’s plates include:
- Basic mechanical seismometers that can detect vertical and horizontal ground movements;
- Networks of seismometers primarily used to measure various types of seismic waves and determine the epicenter of earthquakes;
- Frequency receivers that capture signals to identify the type of seismic events.
Alongside these well-known seismic activity tracking tools, new technologies are being actively implemented to gather more sensitive data and enable precise analysis.
Innovations in Seismic Research
New seismic monitoring technologies include the use of advanced instruments such as:
- Digital and optical sensors that can detect crustal movements, store larger volumes of data, and transmit it to the monitoring center more rapidly. Optical sensors can relay earthquake information faster than satellite communication. Digital sensors are electronic devices that capture and convert seismic data with high resolution;
- Geographic information systems (GIS) and digital maps, which provide more detailed and interactive spatial analysis of events in seismically active areas. ### Big Data Analysis and AI for Seismic Activity Monitoring
Powerful Computers and AI for Big Data Analysis
Utilizing advanced computational power and artificial intelligence, big data analysis can process and interpret extensive datasets derived from seismic activity zones.
Predictive Models
These models aim to correlate synthetic data with information directly obtained from seismic zones, enhancing the accuracy of forecasts.
Modern Automated Monitoring Systems
Today’s automated systems are not only capable of detecting and performing preliminary analyses of seismic signals but also of monitoring the operation of engineering networks in risk areas. Additionally, they can organize public alerts in the event of an earthquake.
Optical Fiber for Earthquake Monitoring
Research at Stanford University
Scientists at Stanford University in California have explored the use of existing optical fiber networks for monitoring seismic activity. Through tests and trials, they concluded that shifts in optical fibers could indicate underground tremors. Sensors placed on optical fiber cables can:
- Register the intensity and direction of seismic waves;
- Track minor earthquakes;
- Detect the emergence of tsunamis.
The data collected is sent to computerized centers for processing, which assesses the seismic threat level for the region.
New Methods for Measuring Underwater Seismic Activity
Underwater Seismic Monitoring
More than two-thirds of Earth’s surface is covered by oceans, making them inaccessible to traditional seismic monitoring networks. However, it has been demonstrated that optical fiber telecommunication cables, both on land and underwater, can monitor and record earthquakes. For example, in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Sicily, in an active fault zone, a deep-sea apparatus established eight seabed geodetic stations.
Laser Reflectometry Technology
These underwater stations use laser reflectometry technology to accurately measure tectonic plate movements in fault zones and monitor seismic activity. This technology was previously used to analyze movements in large, critical infrastructures, such as bridges or hydroelectric dams. Redesigned and adapted for new use, it has found its application in measuring movements of tectonic faults. The method allows tracking movement within the fault to within a few centimeters, providing a more objective earthquake forecast and helping to reduce seismic risks in the studied region.
Innovations in the Alert System
The new technology for enhancing the early earthquake warning system is based on detecting gravitational disturbances in the first seconds of fault rupture. It operates by identifying gravitational perturbations during the initial seconds of fault activation and transmitting this data to early earthquake warning systems. Gravitational systems are automatic devices capable of detecting the onset of an earthquake as early as possible and issuing a regional warning before the arrival of strong seismic shocks.
Conventional earthquake monitoring systems use the speed difference between P-waves (fast and non-destructive) and S-waves (slow and destructive). Since gravitational field disturbances propagate at the speed of light, the innovative alert system can operate much faster than standard ones. Additionally, it reduces the blind zone of the warning system (the area too close to the hypocenter where warnings cannot be delivered) and can provide a quicker assessment of the earthquake’s magnitude.