An illustrated guide to: Distributed and integrated fibre-optic sensing in seismology

The properties of laser signals are affected by deformation of the optical fibre through which they are transmitted. While this deformation dependence is undesirable in telecommunication, it can be exploited for the construction of novel seismic sensors that fill a niche in data acquisition where traditional seismometer arrays would be difficult to deploy. This includes densely populated urban centers, the oceans, volcanoes and the Earth’s polar regions. These notes complement a presentation on recent methodological developments and applications in fibre-optic seismology. The first part is focused on the use of distributed fibre-optic sensing in cryosphere research, and specifically the investigation of the internal structure and seismicity of glaciers and ice sheets. The second part is dedicated to recent advances in integrated fibre-optic sensing, with emphasis on novel measurement principles and sensitivity.