Monitoring the oceans with telecommunication cables
Existing telecommunications cables on the seabed can provide important data on climate and geological hazards. The new SAFAtor research infrastructure will exploit this potential.
The potential of SAFAtor: telecommunications cables can be used as sensors (pink cable) or equipped with sensors (blue cable) both on land and in the sea and the deep sea, thus providing unique data for monitoring climate and natural hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions and landslides. (Figure: M. Dziggel, GFZ)
The global network of telecommunications cables lying on the ocean floor offers unique potential for scientific use if the fibre-optic cables themselves are used as sensors or equipped with sensors. With SAFAtor (SMART Cables And Fiber-optic Sensing Amphibious Demonstrator), the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam and the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research in Kiel are now building a research infrastructure that can be used to monitor the world's oceans. The Helmholtz Association is investing 30 million euros in the new research infrastructure.
Over the next five years, the project partners plan to equip an undersea telecommunications cable with sensors that will continuously provide real-time data on temperature, pressure and bottom movement. It has not yet been decided where the cable will be laid. Possible regions around the world are being explored, including the Mediterranean, the Arctic and off New Zealand. The system can then serve as a model for future projects and support international initiatives to establish this measurement system on other cables with practical and scientific experience.
GEOMAR has many years of experience in global deep-sea research and marine natural hazards. With its expertise in the development of underwater technologies, it will play a leading role in integrating the necessary SMART sensor technology into deep-sea cables.
GFZ scientists will be primarily responsible for the development of coastal observatories, but will also be involved in the selection and equipping of a demonstrator cable with SMART sensors. In addition, GFZ will provide the infrastructure to process, archive and make available the newly acquired data according to the FAIR principles. FAIR stands for findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable.
