Observation of atmospheric and oceanic dynamics using ocean-bottom
distributed acoustic sensing
Abstract
Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) leverages an ocean-bottom
telecommunication fiber-optic cable into a densely-sampled massive array
of strain sensors. We demonstrate DAS applications to Passive Acoustic
Monitoring (PAM) through an experiment in Longyearbyen, Svalbard,
Norway. We show that DAS can measure many types of signals generated by
dynamics in the atmosphere, ocean, and solid earth. These include
primary and secondary microseisms, Scholte waves, water-layer acoustic
resonances, and seismic waves from earthquakes. In addition, we can
trace the origin of primary microseisms back to distant storms a quarter
of the way around the planet. We also find that the fjord acts as an
amplifier for microseisms. Because DAS is capable of hydroacoustic
monitoring with high spatial resolution over great distances, it can
deliver great scientific value to ocean observation. We believe that DAS
can and will become a valuable component of the Global Ocean Observing
System.