With the development of the internet in the 1990s, a large number of fiber lines were laid by Telecommunication companies. The number of these fiber lines was much more than needed to spread the internet, and companies began to lease these lines to study earthquakes, landscapes and even whale sounds.
Today, researchers have similarly started to study Mount Etna, Europe’s most active volcano. As you know, Mount Etna is a very active volcano and it greatly affects the life around it. In the past months, we have mentioned that the volcano has erupted twice in a row. So how do researchers study the activity of this volcano using fiber lines? Let’s take a look at how this is possible.
Etna’s movements can be informed about the activities through fiber cables
Fiber lines have been used for a long time to examine earthquakes, make land measurements and even under water. We mentioned that it is used to detect the calls of whales thanks to fiber cables. Fiber cables work by carrying light pulses from one point to another, and when there is an interruption in these cables (for example, the cables can break in an earthquake), some of the light passing through the cable returns to the source. This is exactly why researchers use fiber cables, because even a small interruption or movement can give information about what is affecting the cable or how far it is.
For example; In the quarantine experienced during the pandemic, information such as how many people or how many cars were on the streets and streets could be obtained by using these cables. Now, a similar method will be used to detect the active activities of Mount Etna, which is seen as one of the most dangerous volcanoes of today. Researchers began laying fiber cables around Etna, which caused many damage from the lava it spewed from time to time to the crash of planes. The red and blue cables laid with this project, called DAS, and the returning light waves in case the volcano enters any activity, will provide researchers with information on issues such as the distance and magnitude of the activity.
These cables, which can detect everything from a human’s footsteps to the sound of footsteps, will detect almost all frequencies, allowing researchers to learn about all possible activities. It is hoped that the many people living in the Etna area will find some relief from their lives on the edge, and that much more successful results will be achieved than previous methods.
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